Donald Trump, the US President-elect, suggested regaining control of the Panama Canal, criticizing the fees charged by Panama and claiming unfair treatment of the US. He emphasized the canal's importance to US interests and threatened to return it to the US if necessary. Panama's President, José Raúl Mulino, firmly rejected this idea, asserting Panama's sovereignty over the canal. At his rally in Arizona, Trump expressed confidence in his administration's ability to improve the economy and secure borders.