Trump Says US Ships Need Free Travel Through Panama, Suez (1)

President Donald Trump called for “free of charge” passage of American ships through the Panama and Suez canals, renewing his focus of expanding US influence over critical commercial and naval waterways.

While Trump began pushing for an exit of Chinese port operators around the Panama Canal soon after returning to the White House in January, the post on his Truth Social network on Saturday also turned attention to the Suez Canal, which cuts through Egypt to link the Mediterranean and the Red Sea.

“Those Canals would not exist without the United States of America,” Trump said, adding that he’s asked ...