Trump's Panama Canal remarks face backlash from Miami Herald and Panama's president

Donald Trump has suggested that the U.S. should retake control of the Panama Canal if Panama does not lower fees for American ships. He called the current fees "ridiculous" and a "complete rip-off." This statement has drawn criticism from the Miami Herald's Andrés Oppenheimer, who urged Trump to focus on more pressing domestic issues. Oppenheimer described Trump's remarks as "pitiful" and questioned the need for such threats against Panama. Panama's President José Raúl Mulino firmly rejected Trump's suggestion, stating that the canal belongs to Panama and will remain under its control. The canal was transferred from U.S. control to Panama in 1999.