Trump warns he may halt the opening of a US–Canada bridge
Former President Donald Trump warned that he could prevent the inauguration of a new US–Canada bridge unless Washington receives full compensation for all support it has provided to Canada.
Trump wrote on social media, “The Gordie Howe International Bridge, connecting the Canadian province of Ontario to the US state of Michigan, will not open until Ottawa treats the US with the fairness and respect we deserve.”
According to the project’s website, the bridge is being funded by the Canadian government, but it will be publicly owned by both Canada and Michigan.
It’s unclear how Trump could prevent this, but he said, without providing further details, that negotiations would begin immediately.
The bridge, built over the Detroit River, is expected to open to traffic in early 2026 after formal testing and approval. Construction began in 2018, but the project has been a bone of contention between the two countries for more than a decade.
According to the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, it is estimated to cost $6.4 billion CAD (£3.4 billion).
In a statement posted on his Truth Social platform, Trump said the US should own “at least half of this property.” He also stated that Canada owns both the Canadian and American sides of the bridge.
According to the project’s website, the organization developing the bridge, the Windsor-Detroit Bridge Authority, is wholly owned by the Canadian government.
Trump wrote, “The Canadian government expects me, as President of the United States, to simply allow them to ‘take advantage of America’!”
He added, “I will not allow this bridge to open until we receive full compensation for everything we have done for the United States.”
The Moroun family—the American owners of the nearby Ambassador Bridge, which also connects Detroit to Canada—had appealed to Trump to halt construction of the new bridge during his first term, arguing that it infringed on their exclusive right to collect tolls.
In response, Trump and then-Prime Minister Justin Trudeau issued a joint statement saying the bridge was an “essential economic link” between the two countries.
On Monday, Trump alluded to recent trade disputes between the two countries, saying, “The tariffs Canada imposes on our dairy products have been unacceptable for many years.”
He also said that the trade deal signed between Canada and China last month would “eat Canada alive.”
Trump added, “China will be the first to shut down all ice hockey in Canada and eliminate the Stanley Cup forever.”
The Canadian Bridge Authority, the Ontario Premier’s Office, and the Detroit Mayor’s Office did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
