Feb. 3, 2025, Fairfax, Va.—Americans for Limited Government President Rick Manning today issued the following statement praising President Donald Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio for their determination in ending illegal migrations into the U.S. and securing the Panama Canal:
“President Donald Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s emphasis on the North American continent threats to our nation’s security and the progress made in the first two weeks of the administration are nothing short of astounding and outstanding.
China’s influence in central and South America accelerated exponentially during the Biden administration with Panama effectively ceding management of the national security critical Panama Canal to the Communist Chinese and a Sino-Panamanian partnership through the Belt and Road Initiative.
President Trump made the decision to prioritize ending Chinese influence over the only water passageway between the east and west coast of America, the Panama Canal, and dispatched newly confirmed Secretary of State Marco Rubio to Panama City to negotiate a solution. The immediate result is Panama’s President decided to bring the Belt and Road initiative partnership to an end, choosing positive relations with the United States which will ensure the central American country’s economic growth.
“President Trump’s clearly stated foreign policy objective was masterfully executed by Secretary Rubio in one of the first major policy wins of the administration.
“At the same time, President Trump’s threatened tariffs on Mexico over illegal human and drug trafficking have led the Mexican government to agree to send 10,000 troops to the border to help control cartel activity on their northern border along with some other measures designed to stem the flood of deadly fentanyl into America.
“President Trump responded to the Mexican action by pausing the imposition of 25% tariffs for a month while Rubio and other administration leaders meet with the Mexican government to establish a permanent, sustainable solution that secures the border and ends the drug cartels’ shipments of fentanyl to the U.S.
“Two weeks and President Trump has two major foreign policy victories which directly impact on the lives of every day Americans. That’s moving at the speed of Trump.”
For media availability contact Americans for Limited Government at media@limitgov.org.
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