As the administration of President Donald Trump doubled down on the president's Monday threat to delay the opening of a new bridge connecting Detroit and Windsor, Ontario, officials in Michigan and Canada pushed back against his claims.
In a post on his Truth Social platform, Trump said the U.S. should own at least half of the Gordie Howe International Bridge.
The U.S. already does, leaders of both countries said.
Representative Debbie Dingell (D-MI 6) said when she first heard the president’s threat, she "thought it was a joke" and said the agreement that allowed construction to begin was clear about joint ownership.
“Canada does not own both sides. The bridge — in this agreement, it's clearly spelled out — is publicly owned by the government of Canada and the state of Michigan,” Dingell said.
Dingell also pointed out that the reason Canada will get all toll revenues for a period of time is to recoup its costs for wholly financing the project.
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney also said the two countries share ownership of the bridge and that he was confident the dispute would be resolved soon.
Ontario Premier Doug Ford echoed Carney’s confidence that the bridge would open on schedule. He also questioned why Trump has reversed his position after signing earlier legislation that directed federal funds toward inspection and screening systems for the crossing.
“If President Trump didn't want this to go forward, why did he fast track it?” Ford said. “Until all of a sudden he changed his mind and said ‘it’s not good?’”
Former Michigan Governor Rick Snyder, a Republican wrote in an op-ed in The Detroit News on Tuesday that several of the points Trump made in his social media post threatening to block the bridge's opening were wrong.
“President Trump, I would encourage you to challenge your advisers and the sources for your post to correct the information they have provided,” Snyder wrote in the op-ed. He acknowledged some trade issues with Canada, but “picking this bridge as the leverage point doesn’t seem to make the most sense given your other tools."
But some leading Republicans in Michigan said they supported the president's threat as a way to push Canada toward better terms in an upcoming trade deal. “President Trump has found the right leverage point to get Canada to the table," said state House Speaker Matt Hall.
"It’s going to be a little bumpy here," Hall said, "but ultimately President Trump will get a great deal."
