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Mark Carney speaks beneath the still-unfinished Gordie Howe International Bridge in Windsor, Canada, in February 2025.
Donald Trump warned in a Monday social media post that he would seek to block the opening of a major new U.S.–Canada span over the Detroit River.
However, his comments about the Gordie Howe International Bridge contained misleading statements and notable omissions — even setting aside his tongue-in-cheek assertion that if Prime Minister Mark Carney were to strike a trade deal with China, “The first thing China will do is terminate ALL Ice Hockey being played in Canada, and permanently eliminate The Stanley Cup.”
Below is a fact check of Trump’s claims. Some echo arguments previously advanced by the family that owns the nearly century-old Ambassador Bridge, which has long opposed the new crossing and even ran a 2018 advertisement on a Fox News morning program that Trump was known to watch.
During his first term, Donald Trump voiced support for the Gordie Howe International Bridge.
Yet after leveling a string of criticisms at the Detroit–Windsor span — which is slated to open early this year — Trump wrote in a Monday post, “Now, the Canadian Government expects me, If Canada expected his backing for the bridge now, it may be because he had already supported it.
In his Monday post, Donald Trump made no reference to a February 2017 joint statement issued early in his first term with then–Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. In that statement, the two leaders said, “Given our shared focus on infrastructure investments, we will encourage opportunities for companies in both countries to create jobs through those investments. In particular, we look forward to the expeditious completion of the Gordie Howe International Bridge, which will serve as a vital economic link between our two countries.”
Jeff Watson, who represented part of the Windsor area as a Conservative member of Parliament from 2004 to 2015, told CNN on Tuesday: “The absurdity is Trump 1.0 takes no issue with the arrangement, wants the construction expedited, while Trump 2.0 now wants to use it as leverage in a trade war he started.”
as President of the United States, to PERMIT them to just ‘take advantage of America!’”
If Canada anticipated his support for the bridge now, it may be because he had already endorsed it.
In his Monday post, Donald Trump omitted that in February 2017, early in his first term, he issued a joint statement with then–Prime Minister Justin Trudeau praising the project. The statement said the two countries would encourage cross-border infrastructure investment and specifically expressed eagerness for the “expeditious completion” of the Gordie Howe International Bridge as a vital economic link.
Jeff Watson, who represented part of the Windsor area as a Conservative member of Parliament from 2004 to 2015, told CNN on Tuesday: “The absurdity is Trump 1.0 takes no issue with the arrangement, wants the construction expedited, while Trump 2.0 now wants to use it as leverage in a trade war he started.”
The bridge is already jointly owned by Michigan and Canada
Trump wrote, “With all that we have given them, we should own, perhaps, at least one half of this asset.” But the bridge’s ownership is already split evenly between the state of Michigan and Canada. Government documents reflect that arrangement, and it was confirmed Tuesday by Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s office and Windsor Mayor Drew Dilkens. Mark Carney also told reporters the ownership is shared, and former Republican Gov. Rick Snyder underscored the point in a Tuesday op-ed.
Writing in The Detroit News, Snyder quoted Trump’s suggestion that “we should own, perhaps, at least one half of this asset,” then replied: “We do already!” He added, “Canada and the state of Michigan are 50/50 owners of the new bridge.”
Canada financed the bridge’s construction
Trump also wrote, “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.”