{"id":14416,"date":"2026-07-05T06:30:00","date_gmt":"2026-07-05T11:30:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/expat-times.com\/panama\/?p=14416"},"modified":"2026-07-04T13:19:28","modified_gmt":"2026-07-04T18:19:28","slug":"ai-teddy-roosevelt-talks-panama-canal-with-trump-in-north-dakota","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/expat-times.com\/panama\/news\/ai-teddy-roosevelt-talks-panama-canal-with-trump-in-north-dakota\/","title":{"rendered":"AI Teddy Roosevelt Talks Panama Canal With Trump in North Dakota"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">MEDORA, <strong>North Dakota<\/strong>. A holographic face flickered on a screen inside the brand new Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library. The face belonged to the 26th president of the United States. The voice that came out of it answered questions from the 45th and 47th president, Donald Trump. The topic was a 50-mile waterway in Central America that has become a flashpoint of modern geopolitics.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Trump visited the library on Wednesday, July 1, ahead of its official opening to the public on July 4, which marks America&#8217;s 250th birthday. During the tour, he sat down for a conversation with an artificial intelligence version of Roosevelt. The exchange touched on the Panama Canal, a project Roosevelt championed more than a century ago and one Trump has recently threatened to reclaim.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">&#8220;Would you consider the Panama Canal your greatest achievement?&#8221; Trump asked the AI Roosevelt, according to a video shared by communications advisor Margo Martin on X.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">&#8220;The canal stands as one of my proudest battles,&#8221; the AI Roosevelt responded. &#8220;But greatness is a strange thing. It isn&#8217;t always the biggest or boldest job that matters most.&#8221; <\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The digital Roosevelt then listed his work expanding national parks, improving food and drug safety, and implementing his <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Square_Deal\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Theodore Roosevelt Square Deal<\/a> domestic agenda as equally important measures of his legacy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\"><p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">.<a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/POTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">@POTUS<\/a> cuts the ribbon to officially open the Theodore Roosevelt Library in North Dakota for the first time! \ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\uddf8 <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/S9xa0PyjDn\">pic.twitter.com\/S9xa0PyjDn<\/a><\/p>&mdash; Margo Martin (@MargoMartin47) <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/MargoMartin47\/status\/2072398064946429952?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">July 1, 2026<\/a><\/blockquote> <script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.x.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Trump arrived in Medora aboard a new $400 million Air Force One plane gifted to the United States by Qatar. Interior Secretary Doug Burgum, a former <strong>North Dakota<\/strong> governor who helped create the library, joined the president to cut the ribbon. Trump also loaned Roosevelt&#8217;s Medal of Honor from the White House to the library collection, joking, &#8220;I want to give one to myself.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<iframe src=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/maps\/embed?pb=!1m18!1m12!1m3!1d10902.288835376692!2d-103.53505677038719!3d46.91113103814979!2m3!1f0!2f0!3f0!3m2!1i1024!2i768!4f13.1!3m3!1m2!1s0x532678a3634608a9%3A0x1c8bd2bf522c0994!2sMedora%2C%20ND%2058645%2C%20USA!5e0!3m2!1sen!2spa!4v1783188920415!5m2!1sen!2spa\" width=\"600\" height=\"450\" style=\"border:0;\" allowfullscreen=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\"><\/iframe>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">A Canal Built on Controversy<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The historical record shows Roosevelt played a decisive role in the canal&#8217;s creation. After the Roosevelt administration supported Panama&#8217;s independence from Colombia in 1903, the United States secured a 10-mile-wide strip of land to construct a waterway connecting the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. Construction took a decade and cost thousands of lives. The canal opened in 1914.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Control of the waterway shifted when the <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Torrijos%E2%80%93Carter_Treaties\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Torrijos%E2%80%93Carter_Treaties\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Panama Canal Treaties<\/a>, negotiated by President Jimmy Carter, transferred ownership to Panama. The handover was completed on December 31, 1999. Panama has operated the canal independently ever since.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Trump has repeatedly challenged that arrangement. In December 2024, he wrote on Truth Social that &#8220;The Panama Canal is considered a VITAL National Asset for the United States, due to its critical role to America&#8217;s Economy and National Security.&#8221; Panamanian President Jos\u00e9 Ra\u00fal Mulino responded firmly, saying in a video message, &#8220;The sovereignty and independence of our country is non-negotiable.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">During his library visit, Trump brought up the canal again in a speech at a Western-themed amphitheater. &#8220;I even had a conversation with Theodore Roosevelt,&#8221; Trump told the crowd. &#8220;I said, &#8216;What do you think about the Panama Canal? Do you consider that your greatest achievement and how do you feel about the fact that the Democrats gave the Panama Canal away to Panama for $1?'&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">That $1 figure is a hyperbolic claim Trump has used before. The actual treaties involved a complex transfer of assets and responsibilities over multiple decades.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" src=\"https:\/\/expat-times.com\/panama\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/1920px-theodore-roosevelt-by-harris-ewing-studio-1907-1200x800-1-1024x683.webp\" alt=\"1920px Theodore Roosevelt by Harris &amp; Ewing Studio, 1907\" class=\"wp-image-14418\" srcset=\"https:\/\/expat-times.com\/panama\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/1920px-theodore-roosevelt-by-harris-ewing-studio-1907-1200x800-1-1024x683.webp 1024w, https:\/\/expat-times.com\/panama\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/1920px-theodore-roosevelt-by-harris-ewing-studio-1907-1200x800-1-300x200.webp 300w, https:\/\/expat-times.com\/panama\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/1920px-theodore-roosevelt-by-harris-ewing-studio-1907-1200x800-1-768x512.webp 768w, https:\/\/expat-times.com\/panama\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/1920px-theodore-roosevelt-by-harris-ewing-studio-1907-1200x800-1-150x100.webp 150w, https:\/\/expat-times.com\/panama\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/1920px-theodore-roosevelt-by-harris-ewing-studio-1907-1200x800-1-450x300.webp 450w, https:\/\/expat-times.com\/panama\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/1920px-theodore-roosevelt-by-harris-ewing-studio-1907-1200x800-1.webp 1200w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A 1907 portrait of Roosevelt by Harris &#038; Ewing By Harris &#038; Ewing Studio, active 1905 &#8211; 1977 &#8211; https:\/\/npg.si.edu\/object\/npg_S_NPG.84.285, CC0, https:\/\/commons.wikimedia.org\/w\/index.php?curid=133431122<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Roosevelt&#8217;s Complicated Legacy<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The AI Roosevelt offered a more nuanced view of his own accomplishments. When asked about the canal, he called it one of his proudest battles but immediately pivoted to broader themes of public service. He said he measures his &#8220;greatest work by the lives improved.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Roosevelt&#8217;s actual record includes aggressive trust-busting, landmark conservation efforts, and the passage of the Pure Food and Drug Act. The Square Deal domestic program aimed to balance the interests of labor, business, and the public. These achievements have long competed with the canal for top billing in Roosevelt&#8217;s legacy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Trump praised Roosevelt during his speech, saying &#8220;his chest swelled with American optimism and confidence, enthusiasm, pride.&#8221; Then the president made an odd comparison. &#8220;I refuse to tell you who got more votes, me or the legendary, and he was great, Theodore Roosevelt,&#8221; Trump said. &#8220;I refuse to say. Because you&#8217;ll say, &#8216;He&#8217;s a braggart! He&#8217;s a terrible human being!'&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The Library Opens at a Pivotal Moment<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library sits in <strong>North Dakota<\/strong>&#8216;s Badlands, a landscape that shaped Roosevelt&#8217;s character during his time as a rancher in the 1880s. The building opens to the public on Independence Day, a date chosen to coincide with the nation&#8217;s semiquincentennial.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe title=\"The new Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library\" width=\"729\" height=\"410\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/qR8xwIkw_TA?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The timing carries weight. The <a href=\"https:\/\/expat-times.com\/panama\/politics-government\/panama-canal-becomes-central-battleground-for-us-china-rivalry\/\" rel=\"internal\">Panama Canal<\/a> remains a vital artery of global trade. Roughly 6 percent of world maritime commerce passes through its locks each year. The waterway has also become a stage for great-power competition, with China&#8217;s increasing influence in Latin America raising concerns in Washington.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Trump&#8217;s threats to reclaim the canal have drawn sharp reactions from Panamanian officials and international observers. Mulino has insisted that his country controls the canal and will continue to do so. The Panamanian president described the canal as a symbol of national sovereignty that is &#8220;non-negotiable.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The AI Roosevelt, for his part, seemed to sidestep the political firestorm. When asked about his greatest achievement, he offered a lesson that might apply to both the canal and the current debate surrounding it. &#8220;The canal stands as one of my proudest battles,&#8221; he said. &#8220;But greatness is a strange thing.&#8221;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>MEDORA, North Dakota. A holographic face flickered on a screen inside the brand new Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library. The face belonged to the 26th president of the United States. The voice that came out of it answered questions from the 45th and 47th president, Donald Trump. The topic was a 50-mile waterway in Central America<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":14417,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"video","meta":{"_sitemap_exclude":false,"_sitemap_priority":"","_sitemap_frequency":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[28,87,29,392],"tags":[5154,5153,5155],"class_list":["post-14416","post","type-post","status-publish","format-video","has-post-thumbnail","category-news","category-featured","category-politics-government","category-technology","tag-ai-roosevelt","tag-teddy-roosevelt-talks-panama","tag-trump-panama-canal","post_format-post-format-video"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/expat-times.com\/panama\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14416","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/expat-times.com\/panama\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/expat-times.com\/panama\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/expat-times.com\/panama\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/expat-times.com\/panama\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=14416"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/expat-times.com\/panama\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14416\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":14419,"href":"https:\/\/expat-times.com\/panama\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14416\/revisions\/14419"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/expat-times.com\/panama\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/14417"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/expat-times.com\/panama\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=14416"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/expat-times.com\/panama\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=14416"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/expat-times.com\/panama\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=14416"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}