BURST
U.S. President Donald Trump threatened Monday to indefinitely delay opening the Gordie Howe International Bridge, while also demanding “at least” half ownership of the massive infrastructure project that Canada is paying for in full.
“I will not allow this bridge 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,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “We will start negotiations, IMMEDIATELY. With all that we have given them, we should own, perhaps, at least one half of this asset. The revenues generated because of the U.S. Market will be astronomical.”
Canada is funding the entire cost of construction, and will recoup that taxpayer investment through collection of bridge tolls. But the bridge is actually jointly owned by Canada and Michigan.
Prime Minister Mark Carney told reporters Tuesday morning that he spoke to Trump, explaining the mutual benefits of the bridge, following the president’s threats. Carney said he explained to Trump that Canada paid for the bridge, and that construction included both U.S. workers and steel.
“This is a great example of cooperation between our countries. Look forward to it opening,” said Carney, on Tuesday morning before a cabinet meeting in Ottawa. “And what is particularly important of course is the commerce and the tourism and the voyages of Canadians and Americans that will go across that bridge.”
Carney also said Trump asked that Pete Hoekstra, the U.S. ambassador to Canada who is from Michigan, “play a role in smoothing the conversation in and around the bridge.”
Trump made the threat Monday on a rambling Truth Social post that also falsely stated Canada built the bridge with “virtually no U.S. content” including American steel. He claimed that former President Barack Obama “stupidly gave them a waiver so they could get around the BUY AMERICAN Act.”
“The post is certainly unhinged, moving from a lot of misinformation and untrue statements,” Windsor Mayor Drew Dilkens told the Star. “Of course, U.S. steel was used in the construction of the bridge on the U.S. side. Thousands of U.S. hands went into the construction of their bridge.
“And this was a project that was worked on together by the U.S and Canada through successive presidents and prime ministers over the course of almost 25 years.”
The Windsor-Detroit Bridge Authority, the Canadian Crown company overseeing bridge construction, did not immediately provide a comment responding to Trump’s threats Monday night.
Stacey LaRouche, press secretary to Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, said the bridge is “all about jobs.”
“It’s good for Michigan workers and it’s good for Michigan’s auto industry,” LaRouche told the Star in an email Tuesday.
“As a reminder, Canada financed the construction of the bridge — which was built by union construction workers from both sides of the border — and it will be operated under a joint ownership agreement between Michigan and Canada. This project has been a tremendous example of bipartisan and international cooperation.
“It’s going to open one way or another, and the governor looks forward to attending the ribbon cutting.”
The bridge’s opening has already been delayed more than a year.
Construction of the Gordie Howe International Bridge began on Oct. 5, 2018. After delays and cost increases brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic, the cost of the bridge climbed from an estimated $5.7 billion to $6.4 billion.
“Canada is building a massive bridge between Ontario and Michigan,” Trump wrote Monday. “They own both the Canada and the United States side and, of course, built it with virtually no U.S. content.”
U.S. Senator Gary Peters, from Michigan, called Trump’s statements “completely backwards.”
“Michigan’s economy is highly integrated with Canada and the Detroit-Windsor corridor is one of the busiest border crossings for trade in our entire country,” Peters, a Democrat, wrote on X. “We’ve wanted this bridge for years because it will be a boon for our economy. This is another case of the President undermining Michigan businesses and workers.”
U.S. Rep. Debbie Dingell also responded to Trump’s claims on social media, noting that the “bridge was built by union workers on both sides of the border.”
“This border is the busiest crossing between our two countries, and has been critical for not only Michigan jobs but also American jobs. Not to mention Canada paid for this bridge,” Dingell, a Michigan Democrat, wrote on X.
She also pointed out that the bridge was negotiated by a Republican governor. Former Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder helped negotiate the deal that saw Canada cover the costs of the bridge.
Dingell added that in 2017, Trump endorsed the bridge, calling it a “vital economic link between our two countries.”
“Nothing has changed,” Dingell wrote. “We cannot forget Canada is our friend and ally. We have to stop these cheap shots. It helps no one, and it especially hurts our economy.
I look forward to the ribbon-cutting.”
The bridge — a 2.5-kilometre span linking Highway 401 in Windsor with Interstate 75 in Detroit — was originally scheduled to open at the end of 2024, before being pushed to fall 2025.
The opening was later pushed back to early 2026, but bridge officials have refused to be more specific.
Trump also railed Monday against Prime Minister Mark Carney’s recent deal with China that will see Canada cut tariffs on some Chinese electric vehicles from 100 per cent to 6.1 per cent. In exchange China will reduce or remove billions of dollars of duties on canola products and seafoods.
Trump’s post also took a bizarre turn with a claim that after the deal with Canada, the first thing China will do is “is terminate ALL Ice Hockey being played in Canada, and permanently eliminate The Stanley Cup.”
“The post made by the president clearly is disturbing because it puts out lots of misinformation, and then even goes to be somewhat unhinged, talking about China stealing hockey and the Stanley Cup,” said Dilkens.
“How did that take a left turn like that? It’s just not true, and it’s just par for the course with Donald Trump. But we just have to be alert to the fact that, you know, this is how he negotiates.”
Trump claimed in his post that “the Country of Canada has treated the United States very unfairly for decades.”
Candace Laing, president and CEO of the Canadian Chamber of Commerce, also noted that Trump previously endorsed the bridge as a priority project.
“Whether this proves real or simply threatened to keep uncertainty high — blocking or barricading bridges is a self-defeating move,” said Laing.
“Through decades of collaboration, Canada and the United States build things together, create jobs together and compete globally together.”
“Modern border infrastructure strengthens shared economic security. The path forward isn’t deconstructing established trade corridors, it’s actually building bridges.”
Dilkens said Canada and the U.S. have worked “together” for many years to make the new bridge a reality.
“And although Canada has funded the cost of the construction, this is a bridge meant to, and designed to, serve the commercial needs of both nations, recognizing that we are each other’s largest trading partner, and we need to have smooth and efficient trade to be able to support each other’s economies,” he said.
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Dilkens called the $6.4-billion bridge “a once in a generation” infrastructure investment that — in “normal times” — would be celebrated together by the leaders of both countries.
“This would be a celebratory event where you have the prime minister of Canada, the president of the United States, meeting in the middle, shaking hands and celebrating each other and our joint success by having a multibillion-dollar piece of infrastructure to support our economies,” said Dilkens.
“Regretfully, it doesn’t seem like that’s going to happen now.”
— with files from National Post