President Trump has threatened to stop the opening of the Gordie Howe International Bridge. This happened just hours after the billionaire owner of the competing Ambassador Bridge met with U.S. Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick. The timing has raised serious questions about what influenced this decision.
The new bridge is supposed to reduce traffic jams along the busiest trade route between the United States and Canada. The president’s threat has caused major concerns for people who depend on this important crossing between Michigan and Canada.
According to The New York Times, Matthew Moroun is at the center of this issue. He is a Detroit trucking billionaire whose family owns the Ambassador Bridge, which connects Detroit and Windsor, Ontario. The Ambassador Bridge has been run by the Moroun family for many years and makes huge amounts of money from tolls. More than $300 million in trade crosses the bridge every day.
The suspicious timing raises questions about influence and fairness
Moroun met with Secretary Lutnick in Washington on Monday. Officials who knew about the private meeting confirmed that Lutnick then talked directly with President Trump about the bridge. Right after these conversations, the president made his threat to block the new bridge.
The Moroun family has fought against the Gordie Howe Bridge for decades. They have used legal battles and lobbying efforts to try to stop the competing project. They even took one challenge all the way to the Canadian Supreme Court and had previously asked President Trump to completely stop the construction.
After the Monday meeting, President Trump posted on social media threatening to stop the new bridge’s planned opening later this year. He said Canadian officials needed to fix a long list of complaints. In his post, he suggested the United States might try to take “at least one half” of the new bridge and collect some of the tolls. This comes as Trump’s recent controversial reactions continue to make headlines.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt defended the president’s position on Tuesday. She said it was “unacceptable to the president” that Canada will control what crosses the bridge and owns the land on both sides. Leavitt also complained that the bridge wasn’t being built with enough American-made materials. “This is just another example of President Trump putting America’s interest first,” she said.
The Gordie Howe Bridge is a huge $4.7 billion project that Canada paid for completely. While Canada funded the entire bridge, it will be operated jointly with Michigan under a public-private arrangement. Michigan owns part of the bridge. It’s not clear how President Trump would actually block the opening since construction is still ongoing.
Prime Minister Mark Carney of Canada addressed the issue after calling President Trump on Tuesday. “This is a great example of cooperation between our countries,” Carney told reporters. “I look forward to it opening.” The situation reflects broader tensions as states like Minnesota navigate Trump’s immigration policies.
Published: Feb 11, 2026 04:45 pm