Trump Threatens To Block US-Canada Bridge Opening, Demands Half Ownership

President Donald Trump has threatened to stop a new bridge between Detroit and Canada from opening unless Ottawa hands over at least half the ownership and meets other unspecified demands.

The United States President took to social media Monday, complaining that America would get nothing from the bridge despite what the United States has done for Canada. He also criticised the Canadian government for not using American steel in the construction.

“We will start negotiations, IMMEDIATELY. With all that we have given them, we should own, perhaps, at least one half of this asset,” Trump wrote.

The Gordie Howe International Bridge, named after a hockey legend who played 25 seasons for the Detroit Red Wings, was set to open in early 2026. Canada paid for the entire project to ease congestion at the existing Ambassador Bridge and Detroit-Windsor tunnel. Construction started in 2018.

Trump didn’t explain how he plans to block the opening. The White House hasn’t responded to questions about his strategy, and the Canadian Embassy in Washington has stayed silent.

Naija News gathered that the threat adds fresh tension to already strained relations between Washington and Ottawa during Trump’s second term. The United States-Mexico-Canada trade agreement comes up for review this year, and Trump has been pushing hard before those talks, including threatening new tariffs

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney has publicly called out American economic bullying on the world stage.

Michigan Politicians Push Back

Michigan Senator Elissa Slotkin, a Democrat, called the Canadian-funded project a “huge boon” for her state’s economy.

“You’ll be able to move cargo from Montreal to Miami without ever stopping at a street light,” Slotkin said.

“So to shoot yourself in the foot and threaten the Gordie Howe Bridge means this guy has completely lost the plot on what’s good for us versus just what’s spite against the Canadians.”

Michigan has mostly escaped Trump’s second-term crackdown that has hit blue states with immigration raids and infrastructure funding cuts. The swing state voted for Trump in both 2016 and 2024.

Trump and Democratic Governor Gretchen Whitmer have kept up a surprisingly friendly relationship. He praised her publicly during an Oval Office visit last April, and they hugged before he announced a new fighter jet mission for a Michigan Air National Guard base.

Stacey LaRouche, Whitmer’s press secretary, pointed out that while Canada paid for everything, Michigan and Canada will operate the bridge together under a joint-ownership agreement.

“This is the busiest trade crossing in North America,” LaRouche said, adding the bridge helps Michigan workers and the state’s auto industry while showing how bipartisan and international cooperation can work.

“It’s going to open one way or another, and the governor looks forward to attending the ribbon-cutting.”

Detroit Representative Shri Thanedar, a Democrat, called the idea of blocking the bridge “crazy” and said Trump’s Canada attacks damage business and jobs.

“The bridge is going to help Michigan’s economy. There’s so much commerce between Michigan and Canada. They’re one of our biggest partners,” Thanedar said.

Democratic Representative Debbie Dingell from Ann Arbor brushed off the president’s threat, saying she expects to attend the spring opening.

“That bridge is the biggest crossing in this country on the northern border. It’s jobs. It’s about protecting our economy. It was built with union jobs on both sides,” Dingell said. “It’s going to open. Canada is our ally.”

Former Michigan Governor Rick Snyder, a Republican, originally negotiated the project with Canada to boost regional trade and cut travel times for commercial trucks moving between the two countries.