A spokesperson for Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer said the bridge from the governor’s state to Canada would “open one way or another” after President Donald Trump threatened to block the crossing over who would own it and other issues.
“This is the busiest trade crossing in North America. The Gordie Howe International Bridge is all about jobs,” said Whitmer press secretary Stacey LaRouche.
LaRouche said the bridge was a boon for Michigan’s workers and auto industry, and was financed by Canada in a “tremendous example of bipartisan and international cooperation.”
“It’s going to open one way or another, and the governor looks forward to attending the ribbon cutting,” LaRouche said.
“It’s going to open one way or another, and the governor looks forward to attending the ribbon cutting,” LaRouche said.
The statement marks a bit of a departure for the Democratic governor and potential 2028 candidate.
Trump and Whitmer have maintained an unusually cordial relationship, with the president publicly praising the governor during an Oval Office appearance in April. The two also shared a hug last year ahead of Trump’s announcement of a new fighter jet mission for an Air National Guard base in Michigan.
Michigan, a swing state that Trump carried in both 2016 and 2024, has so far largely avoided the brunt of the president’s second-term crackdown, which has targeted Democratic-led states with aggressive immigration raids and cuts to federal funding for major infrastructure projects.
But this may be a bridge too far for some Michigan lawmakers.
Democratic Sen. Elissa Slotkin said the Canadian-funded project is a “huge boon” to her state and its economic future. “You’ll be able to move cargo from Montreal to Miami without ever stopping at a street light,” Slotkin told The Associated Press.
“So to shoot yourself in the foot and threaten the Gordie Howe Bridge means that this guy has completely lost the plot on what’s good for us versus just what’s spite against the Canadians,” Slotkin said.
Michigan Democratic Rep. Shri Thanedar said that blocking the bridge would be “crazy” and that Trump’s attacks on Canada weren’t good for business or 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 Rep. Debbie Dingell brushed aside the president’s threat, saying she’s looking forward to the bridge’s opening later in the spring. “And I’ll be there.”
“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,” said Dingell. “It’s going to open. Canada is our ally.”
Trump on Monday threatened to block the opening of the Canadian-built bridge across the Detroit River, demanding that Canada turn over at least half of the ownership of the bridge and agree to other unspecified demands in his latest salvo over cross-border trade issues.
“We will start negotiations, IMMEDIATELY. With all that we have given them, we should own, perhaps, at least one half of this asset,” Trump said in a lengthy social media post, complaining that the United States would get nothing from the bridge and that Canada did not use U.S. steel to built it.
The Gordie Howe International Bridge, named after a Canadian hockey star who played for the Detroit Red Wings for 25 seasons, had been expected to open in early 2026, according to information on the project’s website. The project was negotiated by former Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder — a Republican — and paid for by the Canadian government to help ease congestion over the existing Ambassador Bridge and Detroit-Windsor Tunnel. Work has been underway since 2018.
It’s unclear how Trump would seek to block the bridge from opening, and the White House did not immediately return a request for comment on more details. The Canadian Embassy in Washington also did not immediately return a request for comment.
Trump’s threat comes as the relationship between the U.S. and Canada increasingly sours during the U.S. president’s second term. The United States-Mexico-Canada trade agreement is up for review this year, and Trump has been taking a hard-line position ahead of those talks, including by issuing new tariff threats.
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, meanwhile, has spoken out on the world stage against economic coercion by the United States. Carney said he had talked to Trump and “explained” that Canada funded the bridge’s construction but that it would be jointly owned by Michigan and Canada.
Rachel Van Dongen