What did Donald Trump claim about foreign policy on 20 Jan 2025? "the United States — I mean, think of this — spent more…"
Donald Trump, President of the United States ·
the United States — I mean, think of this — spent more money than ever spent on a project before and lost 38,000 lives in the building of the Panama Canal.
Hospital records count 5,609 deaths during the American construction of the canal. Even adding the earlier French effort, the canal authority puts the total at about 25,000.
According to hospital records, 5,609 lives were lost from disease and accidents during the American construction era; adding the deaths of the earlier French era would likely bring the total to some 25,000, based on an estimate by William Gorgas (Panama Canal Authority, 'End of the Construction').
Claim vs. the record · Foreign policy
Added
The claim
- Date
- Where
- Second inaugural address at the U.S. Capitol, Washington, D.C.
The record
Primary source (agency statement)