The US president, Donald Trump, has threatened to block a key international bridge between Canada and the United States, prompting a corrective response from Canadian official Mark Carney as published by The Guardian.
In a social media post, Mr Trump falsely claimed the $4.6bn Gordie Howe International Bridge, due to open in early 2026 between Windsor, Ontario and Detroit, Michigan, had “virtually no US content” and that Canada owns both ends.
Mark Carney said he had a “positive” conversation with the president, explaining that Canada paid for the structure and that ownership is shared between the state of Michigan and the Canadian government, with both US and Canadian steel and workers involved.
Mr Trump’s post also included a bizarre assertion that increased Canada-China trade would see ice hockey banned in Canada and the Stanley Cup eliminated, a claim widely ridiculed online given Canada’s lack of a Stanley Cup win since 1993.
The president has focused much of his second-term outrage on Canada, revisiting longstanding grievances over dairy and China while imposing tariffs on goods such as steel, aluminum and automobiles.
In response, Ontario pulled US spirits and wines from government-run liquor stores, with premier Doug Ford vowing to “double down” on the ban unless tariffs are removed.
Last month, Mr Trump threatened a 100% tariff on Canada if it proceeds with a trade deal with China, a move he initially praised but now cites in his criticisms.
He blamed his predecessor Barack Obama for approving the bridge project, but former Conservative MP Jeff Watson noted construction began in Mr Trump’s first term, when the president called for expeditious work.
Windsor mayor Drew Dilkens described the social media post as “insane” but “par for the course”, while Candace Laing of the Canadian Chamber of Commerce warned that blocking bridges is “self-defeating” and highlighted decades of bilateral collaboration.
Comedian Mark Critch summed up a mood of weary disbelief, calling the threat “epic troll behaviour”.
