Hegseth: Trump Is Stopping Chinese from Taking Panama Canal

BARTIROMO More on the ░░░░░░░░ trade war with China ░░░░░░░░ its impact on the ░░░░░░░░ from Treasury secretary Scott ░░░░░░░░ and JPMorgan CEO Jamie ░░░░░░░░ shortly But first as ░░░░░░░░ Trump was battling communist ░░░░░░░░ over the cost of ░░░░░░░░ in Washington he was ░░░░░░░░ deploying Defense Secretary Pete ░░░░░░░░ to battle the communist ░░░░░░░░ s dominance at one ░░░░░░░░ America s key shipping ░░░░░░░░ at the Panama Canal ░░░░░░░░ Wednesday the U S ░░░░░░░░ Panama agreed to a ░░░░░░░░ that reaffirms Panama s ░░░░░░░░ and outlines new military ░░░░░░░░ The president sending troops ░░░░░░░░ the Panama Canal to ░░░░░░░░ American interests after years ░░░░░░░░ China exerting influence over ░░░░░░░░ vital waterway in which ░░░░░░░░ 40 of U S ░░░░░░░░ traffic passes through that ░░░░░░░░ on a yearly basis ░░░░░░░░ 23 billion deal between ░░░░░░░░ investment firm Blackrock and ░░░░░░░░ Kong based CK Hutchison ░░░░░░░░ 43 ports including two ░░░░░░░░ at the Panama Canal ░░░░░░░░ is now on hold ░░░░░░░░ the Chinese Communist Party ░░░░░░░░ it is investigating the ░░░░░░░░ in an effort to ░░░░░░░░ it Defense Secretary Pete ░░░░░░░░ just back from the ░░░░░░░░ Canal joins me right ░░░░░░░░ in this Sunday Morning ░░░░░░░░ exclusive Secretary great to ░░░░░░░░ you this morning Thanks ░░░░░░░░ much for joining us ░░░░░░░░ Of course BARTIROMO Tell ░░░░░░░░ about the trip and ░░░░░░░░ are the most important ░░░░░░░░ that we need to ░░░░░░░░ about the Panama Canal ░░░░░░░░ Well President Trump said ░░░░░░░░ his State of the ░░░░░░░░ address China has too ░░░░░░░░ influence over the Panama ░░░░░░░░ and America s going ░░░░░░░░ take it back That ░░░░░░░░ exactly what I was ░░░░░░░░ to do what we ░░░░░░░░ continuing to do China ░░░░░░░░ influence cannot control our ░░░░░░░░ backyard especially a critical ░░░░░░░░ key terrain like the ░░░░░░░░ Canal You mentioned 40 ░░░░░░░░ ships are U S ░░░░░░░░ 75 are going to ░░░░░░░░ from a port So ░░░░░░░░ were able to secure ░░░░░░░░ historic agreements one with ░░░░░░░░ Panama Canal authority that ░░░░░░░░ ships our military vessels ░░░░░░░░ our auxiliary vessels will ░░░░░░░░ first and free through ░░░░░░░░ Panama Canal And then ░░░░░░░░ also signed a memorandum ░░░░░░░░ understanding with the defense ░░░░░░░░ over there and the ░░░░░░░░ that established a robust ░░░░░░░░ growing U S presence ░░░░░░░░ You need to secure ░░░░░░░░ key terrain So Fort ░░░░░░░░ will reopen jointly with ░░░░░░░░ Panamanians a Jungle School ░░░░░░░░ we re going to ░░░░░░░░ a larger U S ░░░░░░░░ at the invitation of ░░░░░░░░ working with them to ░░░░░░░░ the communist Chinese out ░░░░░░░░ we can t use ░░░░░░░░ that waterway in a ░░░░░░░░ contingency then China has ░░░░░░░░ advantage Other presidents have ░░░░░░░░ us we ve been ░░░░░░░░ of asleep at the ░░░░░░░░ President Trump has said ░░░░░░░░ need to be serious ░░░░░░░░ our own backyard That ░░░░░░░░ a place like the ░░░░░░░░ Canal And I want ░░░░░░░░ thank President Molina a ░░░░░░░░ Trump pro America president ░░░░░░░░ Panama who s sticking ░░░░░░░░ neck out against communists ░░░░░░░░ influence was real there ░░░░░░░░ we could see it ░░░░░░░░ could feel it The ░░░░░░░░ Chinese want to control ░░░░░░░░ They re building infrastructure ░░░░░░░░ They want to surveil ░░░░░░░░ want to take that ░░░░░░░░ President Trump says not ░░░░░░░░ our watch and we ░░░░░░░░ fighting back BARTIROMO That ░░░░░░░░ unbelievable When I spoke ░░░░░░░░ President Trump in an ░░░░░░░░ last month he said ░░░░░░░░ all the signage around ░░░░░░░░ canal was all in ░░░░░░░░ When you re going ░░░░░░░░ it it s all ░░░░░░░░ signs when you re ░░░░░░░░ out of it it ░░░░░░░░ all Chinese signs That ░░░░░░░░ one piece of color ░░░░░░░░ indicates how dominant they ░░░░░░░░ been Hegseth Correct They ░░░░░░░░ building a tunnel underneath ░░░░░░░░ canal they re paying ░░░░░░░░ What could that be ░░░░░░░░ for Surveillance of submarines ░░░░░░░░ ships Bridges over the ░░░░░░░░ I flew by their ░░░░░░░░ in that port antennas ░░░░░░░░ over them What are ░░░░░░░░ used to do By ░░░░░░░░ they re removing a ░░░░░░░░ of that signage but ░░░░░░░░ signage is not enough ░░░░░░░░ ve got to remove ░░░░░░░░ insidious influence And getting ░░░░░░░░ agreements signed it was ░░░░░░░░ big with effort across ░░░░░░░░ DOD with their leaders ░░░░░░░░ they know that by ░░░░░░░░ closer to the United ░░░░░░░░ and allowing additional joint ░░░░░░░░ S presence that s ░░░░░░░░ out nefarious malicious Chinese ░░░░░░░░ The Chinese didn t ░░░░░░░░ what happened in Panama ░░░░░░░░ week not at all ░░░░░░░░ this is a return ░░░░░░░░ U S leadership peace ░░░░░░░░ strength and the course ░░░░░░░░ charted by President Trump.”