Trump has specifically said, more than once, that he says things that he does not intend to follow through on internationally to make US foreign policy more difficult to predict. He also clearly says things to establish negotiating positions for more reasonable objects. Panama is obviously the latter.
> Trump has specifically said, more than once, that he says things that he does not intend to follow through on internationally to make US foreign policy more difficult to predict.
That's an idiotic policy that embarrasses the country and should not be defended, but condemned for what it is - strategic hyperbole or not.