Ambassador Bridge owner reportedly met with federal official hours before Trump’s post on Gordie Howe bridge
The owner of the Ambassador Bridge met with U.S. Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick hours before President Trump threatened to block the opening of the Gordie Howe International Bridge, according to reports.
The New York Times reports that on Monday, Matthew Moroun met with Lutnick. Details on that meeting are unclear. Lutnick then spoke with Mr. Trump over the phone, the Times reported.
That same day, Mr. Trump posted on Truth Social, threatening to block the Gordie Howe bridge between Detroit and Canada “until the United States is fully compensated for everything we have given them.” The president also demanded that Canada “treats the United States with the Fairness and Respect that we deserve.”
“With all that we have given them, we should own, perhaps, at least one half of this asset. The revenues generated because of the U.S. Market will be astronomical,” the president added.
CBS News Detroit contacted Lutnick’s office and the Ambassador Bridge for comment Tuesday night and is awaiting a response.
The Ambassador Bridge, which connects Detroit to Ontario, opened to the public in 1929. The Moroun took control of the bridge in 1979 when Detroit-native Manuel J. “Matty” Moroun, owner of Central Cartage Company, acquired it.
Construction for the Gordie Howe International Bridge began in 2018, and the bridge is expected to open this year. It is jointly owned by Canada and the state of Michigan, with Canada footing the construction costs.
In his post, Mr. Trump criticized Canada, saying Ontario won’t put U.S. alcoholic products on its shelves and complaining of Canadian tariffs on U.S. dairy products, calling it “unacceptable.” The president also claimed that Prime Minister Mark Carney is trying to make a deal with China. Mr. Trump says Canada has treated the U.S. “unfairly for decades” and that the bridge was being built without U.S. content, such as steel.
A White House official told CBS News Detroit on Tuesday that “The President believes that the United States should own at least half of the bridge, have shared authority over what passes across it, and participates in the economic benefits generated by its use.”
“All international infrastructure projects require a presidential permit, and the president is within his absolute right to amend it,” the official added.
However, CBC News reports that Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said he spoke with Mr. Trump on Tuesday, explaining that Canada paid for the bridge and that the U.S. already has an ownership stake.
contributed to this report.
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