Trump speaks at Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library dedication in North Dakota

Vows US will not let China take the Panama Canal, echoing Roosevelt-era legacy

President Donald Trump arrives to deliver remarks at the dedication ceremony for the Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library at the Burning Hills Amphitheater in Medora, North Dakota, on Tuesday (local time). [Reuters]
President Donald Trump arrives to deliver remarks at the dedication ceremony for the Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library at the Burning Hills Amphitheater in Medora, North Dakota, on Tuesday (local time). [Reuters]

President Donald Trump traveled to North Dakota on Tuesday (local time) and declared that the United States would not allow China to take control of the Panama Canal.

Speaking at the dedication ceremony for the Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library, Trump said, "China is trying to take the Panama Canal, and we're not going to let that happen."

The remarks came as Trump was praising the legacy of former President Theodore Roosevelt (1858–1919), who was the driving force behind the construction of the Panama Canal.

Though Roosevelt was born in New York, he once ran a ranch in North Dakota and later said he could not have become president without his experiences there.

To North Dakotans, Roosevelt is a hero. Trump's speech at the ceremony was closer to a campaign rally — he lavished praise on Roosevelt, branded the Democratic Party's progressive wing as communists, and attacked the Supreme Court for blocking his executive order ending birthright citizenship.

Trump also noted that the 125th anniversary of the United States fell during Roosevelt's administration, drawing a parallel between Roosevelt's era and his own as the country marks its 250th anniversary.

A cavalry unit led Trump's motorcade to the venue — an image evoking Roosevelt, who organized the "Rough Riders" cavalry regiment during the Spanish-American War and cultivated a reputation as a rugged, forceful leader.

North Dakota is a strongly Republican state. It delivered its electoral votes to Trump in the 2024 presidential election, and no Democratic presidential candidate has carried the state since 1964.

Trump has frequently praised Roosevelt in the past as well.

Some analysts draw comparisons between the two presidents. Roosevelt's daughter once described her father as someone who wanted to be the bride at every wedding, the corpse at every funeral and the baby at every christening — a man who craved attention wherever he went. Both presidents also share a tendency to disregard established convention and to expand presidential authority without restraint.

Tuesday's trip marked the first time Trump flew aboard the new Air Force One — a Boeing 747-8 gifted by Qatar last year — departing from Joint Base Andrews near Washington.

The aircraft, valued at hundreds of millions of dollars, required extensive security upgrades and modifications to serve as a presidential plane, at enormous cost.

The New York Times reported that Air Force Secretary Troy Meink told Congress last year that the conversion costs would likely be "probably less than $400 million."

Before boarding the plane, Trump told reporters it would be "the first flight of what may be the greatest commercial plane ever built."

The New York Times said the use of the new jet raised "growing ethical questions," noting that the aircraft is not only one of the largest gifts ever given to the United States by a foreign government, but is also set to be donated to Trump's presidential library after he leaves office — meaning he could use it personally after 2028.

Trump's visit to North Dakota was part of a series of events marking the 250th anniversary of American independence. He is scheduled to visit Mount Rushmore in South Dakota on Thursday and deliver a commemorative address in Washington on Friday, the Fourth of July.


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