In the latest escalation of his ongoing battle with Canada, Pres. Donald Trump said in a social media post he may block the opening of the $4.7 billion Gordie Howe International Bridge linking Detroit to Windsor, Ontario.
The nearly completed 1.6-mile span has been long sought by domestic and foreign-owned automakers who complain an older span across the Detroit River can’t handle the constant flow of truck traffic moving autos and auto parts between factories on both sides of the border.
In a post on his Truth Social site, Trump said he would block the opening of the Gordie Howe bridge until Canada “treats the United States with the Fairness and Respect that we deserve.” But several reports note that Trump’s sudden involvement in the project came just hours after a meeting between U.S. Commerce Sec. Howard Lutnick and members of the Moroun family which own the Ambassador Bridge the narrow, aging span linking the two cities.
Long in the Making
A second span across the Detroit River has long been sought by the auto industry which routinely faces delays at the scores of plants that straddle the U.S.-Canadian border in Michigan, Ontario and neighboring states and provinces. The late Sergio Marchionne, former CEO of FiatChrysler Automobiles, became a champion of the project which eventually won strong bipartisan support – despite intense lobbying by the Moroun family. (At one point, they started work on a second span alongside the Ambassador Bridge but were forced to abandon the project.)
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In an unusual move, and with no funding coming from the American side, the Canadian government agreed to fully fund the bridge – which is named for the legendary Canadian hockey star who was born in Canada but who played for decades for the Detroit Red Wings. The deal still granted Michigan half-ownership with its share of the costs initially to come out of tolls.
Work began in 2018 but was delayed due to the pandemic. All but some final details now have been completed and the Windsor-Detroit Bridge Authority recently said in a statement it is on track for opening the bridge early this year. At least it was until this week.
A Relic
While there are dozens of land and water crossings between the U.S. and Canada — including the Blue Water Bridge about an hour north of Detroit and also struggling with heavy truck traffic. According to the U.S. Bureau of Transportation Statistics, there were as many as 2.9 million crossings between the U.S. and Canada going through Detroit in 2025, with truck traffic running as high as 245,000 a month. The bulk of that was through the Ambassador Bridge. Constructed in 1929, it is unique in that it’s the only link between the two countries that is privately owned. And, due to its age, it is in a continuous state of maintenance and repairs which can further restrict the flow of traffic, backers of the Gordie Howe long warned. “For years, Michigan and Detroit have bet on the (new) bridge’s opening to usher in a new era of international commerce, border security and tourism,” Axios noted in a story on the new span.
Once the unusual funding plan for the new bridge was locked down, support became near-unanimous and bipartisan, backed by both the former and current Michigan governors, Rick Snyder and Gretchen Whitmer respectively. The loudest opposition came from the Moroun family. They spent millions on lobbying and lawsuits and eventually forced a Michigan ballot initiative – which backers of the bridge won handily. They went so far as to try building a second span of their own without permission. They were ordered to halt work and take down the moorings that were constructed.
Trump Steps In
Even as work has progressed, the Moroun family has sought ways to halt the Gordie Howe project. They’ve suddenly gained an ally with Pres. Trump. Late Monday, he posted on Truth Social that the bridge will not get formal approval to open “until the United States is fully compensated for everything we have given them, and also, importantly, (Canada) treats the United States with the Fairness and Respect that we deserve.” Among other things, he’s demanding more of a stake in bridge tolls and incorrectly demanded an ownership stake for the U.S., even though that is already in place.
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At first glance, it appeared this was just the latest in an escalating tiff between the two countries that began with the president’s second inauguration in January 2025. He has demanded that Canada join the U.S. as its 51st state. He has also enacted new tariffs on Canadian goods and is threatening further actions. Relations between the two neighbors – which share the longest unguarded border in the world – have grown more fraught over the past year. In one of the odder comments Trump made this week, he again criticized a new trade deal between Canada and China, warning, “the first thing China will do is terminate ALL Ice Hockey being played in Canada, and permanently eliminate The Stanley Cup.”
Doing a Big Donor a Favor
Yet, reports first published by the New York Times suggest Trump’s sudden involvement has at least a secondary motive. “The billionaire owner of a bridge connecting Michigan with Canada met Howard Lutnick, the U.S. Secretary of Commerce, on Monday hours before President Trump lambasted a competing span, in the latest flashpoint in the deteriorating relationship between the United States and Canada,” the paper reported. That has now been backed by numerous other reports from the U.S. and Canada. The Moroun family has long been active in politics and were reported to be major donors to the Republican Party, including Trump.
Exactly How Trump might try to block the Gordie Howe’s opening is unclear though he has several options, including the ability to declare an emergency that would shut down specific border crossings. A brief closure was this week ordered at the airport in El Paso, Texas. Set initially to run for 10 days, the order was lifted hours later.
Hoping to defuse the situation, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney told reporters he had a “positive” conversation with Trump. noting the bridge was built with workers and steel from both countries. He said he looks forward to the opening of the span and added the two leaders discussed the various concerns raised by Trump in his social media posts.
