Michigan Candidate Accuses Trump Blocking Canada-US Bridge for Donor

A Michigan Democratic Senate candidate has launched a major ad campaign accusing President Donald Trump of keeping the Gordie Howe International Bridge closed to benefit a billionaire political donor, injecting a corruption allegation into one of the most closely watched Senate races in the country.

State Senator Mallory McMorrow’s digital ad, shared first with The Associated Press, claims the $4.4 billion bridge connecting Detroit to Windsor, Ontario, is ready to open but remains shut because “Donald Trump won’t open it.” The ad has an initial buy of over $400,000 on TV and digital platforms in the Detroit market.

“I’m Mallory McMorrow and I have one message for the president: open this damn bridge,” she says in the ad.

The Donor Connection

McMorrow argues that Trump is blocking the bridge because “the billionaire family that owns the other bridge gave him a million bucks.” That claim points to the Moroun family, who own the privately held Ambassador Bridge — the existing crossing between Detroit and Windsor that would face direct competition from the new Gordie Howe Bridge.

Federal campaign finance records show Matthew Moroun donated $1 million to Trump’s MAGA Inc. super PAC on January 16, 2026. Twenty-four days later, on February 9, Trump demanded in a social media post that Canada turn over at least half ownership of the bridge to the U.S. government, threatening to block its opening. The New York Times reported that Moroun met with Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick on Feb. 9, and hours after the meeting, Lutnick called Trump, who subsequently criticized the bridge.

Bridge Delay and Political Fallout

The Gordie Howe International Bridge, named after the late hockey legend who played 25 seasons for the Detroit Red Wings, was slated for a ribbon-cutting ceremony on June 12. It was abruptly postponed after officials said the U.S. and Canada were still working to resolve “outstanding issues.” Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney confirmed the delay was “at the request of the United States.”

The White House has denied any connection between the donation and the bridge delay. Spokesman Kush Desai said Trump’s decision-making is guided by “the best interest of the American people,” while MAGA Inc. spokesman Alex Pfeiffer stated that “donations to the committee have no bearing on government policy.”

The controversy gives Democrats a rare opportunity to tie Trump directly to a project with visible economic consequences in a battleground state. Michigan is heavily dependent on cross-border trade with Canada, and more than 9.2 million vehicles crossed the border on Detroit-area bridges in 2025. Both existing bridges and the Detroit-Windsor Tunnel are operating at full capacity.

A Tight Senate Race

McMorrow is one of three Democrats vying for the open Senate seat, as incumbent Gary Peters is retiring. She faces U.S. Rep. Haley Stevens and Abdul El-Sayed in the August 4 primary. The winner is expected to face Republican Mike Rogers, who lost to Sen. Elissa Slotkin in 2024.

“Right now in this primary, my two opponents are trying to present a false binary choice,” McMorrow told the AP. “We have six weeks. I mean, anything can happen. There are so many people who are just starting to tune into this race.”

The bridge issue has become a central campaign theme for McMorrow, who is running on an anti-corruption message. Outside groups have poured millions into the race: a PAC connected to AIPAC has spent nearly $8 million boosting Stevens, while a super PAC supporting McMorrow has reserved nearly $6 million in advertising.

A History of Opposition

The Moroun family has spent years fighting the Gordie Howe Bridge, which would break their monopoly on commercial truck traffic between Detroit and Windsor. In 2012, they spent $33 million funding a Michigan ballot proposal aimed at preventing the new bridge, which ultimately failed. The Ambassador Bridge, built in 1929 and purchased by the Morouns in 1979, generates enormous toll revenue and is one of the few privately owned border crossings between the U.S. and Canada.

The bridge project was negotiated by former Republican Governor Rick Snyder and is entirely financed by Canada. Construction has been underway since 2018.

What’s Next

With the ribbon-cutting postponed indefinitely and the primary election just six weeks away, the bridge controversy is likely to remain a flashpoint in the campaign. Even Republican Senate candidate Mike Rogers has used the bridge in his messaging, saying he’ll make sure it opens if elected — a sign of bipartisan frustration with the delay.

Sandy Baruah, president of the Detroit Regional Chamber, urged perspective: “If it opens July 1, Aug. 1 or Sept. 1, I’m not going to get overly agitated about it. This is a long-term play.”

Whether the bridge opens before the November election — and whether the donor controversy continues to shape the race — remains an open question.