Donald Trump doubled down on his threats to retake control of the Panama Canal, but military experts say his stated concerns about national security are vastly overblown. The president claimed in his inaugural address that "China is operating the Panama Canal,

In his speech, Trump said the U.S. will attempt to reassert control over the Panama Canal, claiming that China is giving preferential treatment over the crucial waterway bridging the Atlantic and Pacific oceans.

Trump's claim that Chinese soldiers exercise authority over the Panama Canal is inaccurate, but his assertion that China manipulates the use of the passage is a long-held U.S. concern.