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President Donald Trump has threatened to block the opening of a newly constructed bridge between Detroit and Canada over claims that the United States deserves compensation and partial ownership.
Some shit you should know before you dig in: Back in 2018, construction began on the Gordie Howe International Bridge, a massive infrastructure project designed to connect Detroit, Michigan, with Windsor, Ontario. The bridge is expected to open later this year and cost $6.4 billion. The project was fully funded by the Canadian government. Despite the Canadian government picking up the tab, it will be jointly owned by the Government of Canada and the state of Michigan under a public-private partnership agreement.
What’s going on now: In a notable development, Trump took to Truth Social to announce, “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.” He also claimed that Canada owns both sides of the bridge and constructed it “with virtually no US content,” and insisted, “With all that we have given them, we should own, perhaps, at least one half of this asset.” Trump tied his threat to a broader critique of US-Canada relations, saying Canada has treated the US “very unfairly for decades” and accused Canadian provinces of banning US alcohol products. He also railed against Canada’s recent trade deal with China, warning that “Canada is on the verge of making a deal with China that will eat Canada alive.”
Canadian and Michigan leaders pushed back on Trump’s statements, with Prime Minister Mark Carney saying, “I explained to the president that Canada paid for the bridge, firstly. Secondly, it’s a property shared between the state of Michigan and the Canadian government and there were American steel and workers involved in the work for the bridge.” Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer’s office also defended the project, saying, “The Gordie Howe International Bridge is all about jobs. It’s good for Michigan workers and it’s good for Michigan’s auto industry.” Her spokesperson added, “It’s going to open one way or another, and the governor looks forward to attending the ribbon cutting.”
This all comes amid a wider escalation by Trump against Canada. In recent weeks, he has threatened to impose a 100% tariff on all Canadian goods if Canada finalizes its trade deal with China. He also floated a 50% tariff on Canadian aircraft and threatened to decertify Bombardier Global Express jets over Canada’s alleged mistreatment of Gulfstream.
