By Eric Bradner and Aaron Pellish, CNN
(CNN) — President-elect Donald Trump on Sunday, in his first rally-like speech for the reason that November election, threatened to retake management of the Panama Canal, pushed again on criticism of Elon Musk’s affect, and steered he may quickly meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Trump’s speech in Phoenix, at a Turning Level USA gathering of conservative activists celebrating his victory final month, largely echoed the rhetoric he used on the marketing campaign path — together with lies about widespread fraud within the 2020 election — however had been tempered along with his satisfaction at having received.
“We had no riots. We had no anything. It was a beautiful thing to watch,” Trump mentioned, noting Democrats’ concession of the 2024 election. “They just said, ‘We lost.’ And we want to try bringing everybody together.”
Trump didn’t tackle the chaotic previous week in Washington, which noticed him play a central position in scuttling a Home short-term authorities funding take care of a last-minute declaration of his opposition — and a ferocious social media marketing campaign led by Musk in opposition to it. Their opposition set off a scramble that led lawmakers to approve a unique short-term measure, with out the debt ceiling suspension Trump had demanded, to avert a authorities shutdown.
As an alternative, Trump vowed to maintain the guarantees he made on the marketing campaign path and to take motion on his firsts day in workplace on, amongst different issues, immigration, vitality manufacturing and a collection of tradition battle points.
Listed below are six key strains from Trump’s speech on Sunday:
Panama Canal
Trump mentioned he would contemplate retaking management of the Panama Canal, which he known as a “vital national asset,” doubling down on social media posts he’d made on the subject Saturday.
“Our Navy and commerce have been treated in a very unfair and injudicious way. The fees being charged by Panama are ridiculous, highly unfair, especially knowing the extraordinary generosity that has been bestowed to Panama — I say, very foolishly, by the United States,” Trump mentioned. “This complete rip-off of our country will immediately stop.”
It was an indication of how the USA’ strategy to international coverage may shift beneath Trump, who has proven a willingness to make use of bellicose rhetoric — even towards allies — to perform his targets. He’s threatened 25% tariffs, for instance, on Canada and Mexico on day 1 of his administration.
The Panama Canal, which hyperlinks the Atlantic and Pacific oceans, is a crucial passage for American commerce that was constructed principally by the USA and opened in 1914. President Jimmy Carter signed a treaty that started the method of transferring management of the canal to Panama in 1977, and that switch was finalized in 1999.
“It was given to Panama and to the people of Panama, but it has provisions — you’ve got to treat us fairly. And they haven’t treated us fairly,” Trump mentioned. “We will demand that the Panama Canal be returned to the United States of America in full, quickly and without question. I’m not going to stand for it. So to the officials of Panama, please be guided accordingly.”
Panama’s President José Raúl Mulino said in a video message Sunday afternoon that the Canal and its adjoining zone belong to Panama.
“The sovereignty and independence of our country are not negotiable,” Mulino mentioned in an announcement posted on X, pointing to the 1977 treaty.
“Panama respects other nations and demands respect. With the new government of the United States, I aspire to preserve and maintain a good and respectful relationship,” he added. “Security issues such as illegal migration, drug trafficking and organized crime should be a priority on our bilateral agenda, as they are a real threat that should concern us,” Mulino mentioned.
Putin assembly
Trump steered he may meet with Putin early in his presidency as he seeks to barter an finish to Russia’s battle in Ukraine.
Trump mentioned bringing the battle to an finish is “one of the things I want to do quickly,” and mentioned Putin needs to fulfill with him “as soon as possible.”
“So we have to wait for this. But we have to end that war,” Trump mentioned.
Throughout Putin’s year-end media availability final week, he mentioned he’s “ready” for potential talks with Trump.
Musk’s affect
Trump pushed again on Democrats’ characterization of Musk as performing because the de facto president, after Musk — who has spent a lot time with Trump at Mar-a-Lago for the reason that president-elect’s victory — helped tank the bipartisan authorities funding invoice final week.
“No, he’s not taking the presidency. I like having smart people,” he mentioned. “They’re on a new kick. ‘Russia, Russia, Russia,’ ‘Ukraine, Ukraine, Ukraine,’ all the different hoaxes. The new one is ‘President Trump has ceded the presidency to Elon Musk.’ No, no, that’s not happening.”
Trump went on to reward Musk’s firm, SpaceX, for making developments in area journey and for its Starlink satellite expertise, however once more reiterated that Musk is “not going to be president.”
“No, he’s not going to be president, that I can tell you,” he mentioned. “And I’m safe, you know why? He can’t be — he wasn’t born in this country.”
Renaming Denali
Former President Barack Obama’s administration renamed the best mountain peak in North America, Mount McKinley, to Denali to honor Alaska’s native inhabitants, which had used the title for hundreds of years.
Trump arrived on the matter after crediting President William McKinley with spurring the financial prosperity that allowed President Theodore Roosevelt’s administration to start development of the Panama Canal.
Trump mentioned McKinley ought to have his title restored as a result of he was a “great president” who “deserves it.”
“McKinley was a very good, maybe a great president. They took his name off Mount McKinley. That’s what they do to people,” Trump mentioned.
“President McKinley was the president that was responsible for creating a vast sum of money,” he mentioned. “That’s one of the reasons that we’re going to bring back the name of Mount McKinley, because I think he deserves it.”
Trump additionally mentioned he would restore the names of army bases like North Carolina’s Fort Bragg, the previous title of what’s now Fort Liberty. The title was modified in 2023 to strip the army base of its Accomplice namesake.
“Woke has to stop. Because along with everything else, it’s destroying our country. We’re going to stop woke,” Trump mentioned. “Woke is bullsh*t.”
Vaccine skepticism
Trump defended his controversial decide for Well being and Human Providers secretary, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. — and appeared to recommend he would permit Kennedy to probe for hyperlinks between vaccines and autism, regardless of no proof supporting the connection that Kennedy has lengthy claimed exists.
Trump pointed to rises in diagnoses of autism, childhood most cancers and persistent illnesses, and mentioned that “something’s wrong.”
“Together, we’re going to make America healthy again,” Trump mentioned. “Something bad is happening.”
Kennedy’s lengthy historical past of vaccine skepticism has been a supply of focus for some Republican senators who’re assembly with Trump’s Cupboard nominees forward of affirmation hearings. Each Kennedy and Trump have in latest weeks sought to handle these considerations — with Trump at a latest information convention describing himself as a “a big believer in the polio vaccine” and Kennedy saying he’s “all for” the vaccine.
Nonetheless, on the identical information convention, Trump equally famous increased autism charges, and mentioned he needs Kennedy to “come back with a report as to what he thinks. We’re going to find out a lot.”
TikTok’s future
Trump once more expressed openness to permitting the social media app TikTok to proceed working in the USA, suggesting that the app might have helped attain some key voters.
His feedback come because the Supreme Courtroom final week agreed to resolve whether or not a controversial ban on the social media app violates the First Modification. The excessive courtroom agreed to expedite the case and listen to arguments on January 10.
Trump touted his reputation on the app and the good points he made with younger voters within the 2024 election, saying he’s “going to have to start thinking about TikTok.”
“We did go on TikTok, and we had a great response. We had billions and billions of views,” he mentioned.
Trump mentioned he was proven a chart highlighting the views his marketing campaign had acquired there. “As I looked at it I said, ‘Maybe we gotta keep this sucker around for a little while,’” he mentioned.
The-CNN-Wire
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