Carter viewed the Panama Canal transfer as a defining moment of his presidency, while Donald Trump recently reignited debate, calling it a "giveaway."

PHOENIX (AP) — Donald Trump suggested Sunday that his new administration could try to regain control of the Panama Canal that the United States “foolishly” ceded to its Central American ally, contending that shippers are charged “ridiculous” fees to pass through the vital transportation channel linking the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans.

Handing control of the Panama Canal from the U.S. over to the Central American country was one of President Jimmy Carter's most controversial, and most overshadowed, foreign policy achievements.

Sen. Ben Cardin said on ABC's "This Week" that President-elect Donald Trump's threats to seize the Panama Canal could drive U.S. allies toward to Russia and China.

Panama's President José Raúl Mulino remembered former President Jimmy Carter, who died on Sunday at age 100, for his "crucial" role in ensuring the Panama Canal was returned to Panamanian control. The big picture: Carter signed treaties with Panama's leader in 1977 for the U.

Outgoing Sen. Ben Cardin (D-MD) argued President-elect Donald Trump’s recent comments about reclaiming the Panama Canal could impact the United States’s “credibility” on the global stage and help rival countries,

Sen. Ben Cardin (D-Md.), outgoing chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said on Sunday that President-elect Trump’s remarks about Panama have larger consequences on America’s credibility abroad.

The tourists believe Trump is only posturing as a business tactic, as he claims American ships are charged ‘unfair’ fees crossing the canal.