The U.S. acquired the rights to build and operate the canal in the early 20th century, but at the time, Panama was in the process of seceding from Colombia, whose senate was refusing to ratify a treaty that would allow the canal to be built, according to the State Department's Office of the Historian .

President-elect Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform that the United States could take control of Greenland, Canada, and the Panama Canal in a grievance-filled post. News' Aaron Gilchrist reports on the history of Trump's targets and the geopolitical implications of his musings.