President Donald Trump has bizarrely claimed that China is plotting to “terminate ALL ice hockey” in Canada as he threatened to block a new suspension bridge between the U.S. and its northern neighbor.
Officials on both sides of the border — including in Trump’s first administration — have been working for decades to build and open the 1.6 mile Gordie Howe International Bridge, spanning the Detroit River between Michigan and Ontario.
But in a splenetic rant on Truth Social, the president accused Canada of “taking advantage of America” and demanded it give the U.S. part-ownership of the bridge or else face reprisals.
“What does the United States of America get — Absolutely NOTHING!” Trump posted.
“I will not allow this bridge to open until the United States is fully compensated for everything we have given them, and also, importantly, Canada treats the United States with the Fairness and Respect that we deserve.
“We will start negotiations, IMMEDIATELY. With all that we have given them, we should own, perhaps, at least one half of this asset.”
He also fulminated against reports that Canada seeking is new trade deals with China, which he claimed would “eat Canada alive”.
“The first thing China will do is terminate ALL Ice Hockey being played in Canada, and permanently eliminate The Stanley Cup,” Trump claimed, without explaining how exactly this would be done.
Trump’s remarks drew immediate rebukes from Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer and other Great Lakes State Democrats.
”Canada financed the construction of the bridge — which was built by union construction workers from both sides of the border — and it will be operated under a joint ownership agreement between Michigan and Canada,” said a spokesperson for Whitmer.
“It’s going to open one way or another.”
Michigan Senator Elissa Slotkin called the bridge an “incredibly important infrastructure project” and said any cancellation would wreak “serious” damage on the state’s economy.
“With this threat, the President is punishing Michiganders for a trade war he started,” she posted on X.
Michigan’s other Senator Gary Peters called Trump’s claims “completely backwards”, saying the state’s economy is already “highly integrated” with Canada and that Michiganders have wanted a new bridge for years.
House member Debbie Dingell, who represents Ann Arbor and a bundle of other towns west of Detroit, pointed out that the bridge had been “negotiated by a Republican governor” and that Trump himself had endorsed it in 2017.
“We cannot forget Canada is our friend and ally. We have to stop these cheap shots… I look forward to the ribbon-cutting,” she said.
Named after famed Detroit hockey player and Canadian national Gordon Howe, the new bridge has been under construction since 2018 and was entirely funded by the Canadian government, which will recoup its money by collecting bridge tolls.
Bridging two historic allies and trade partners, it seemed like a done deal until Trump’s tariffs and threats of annexation sent relations spiraling down the diplomatic plughole.
In a speech at Davos last month, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney won a standing ovation for warning that the old U.S.-led world order was dead and “is not coming back.”
Trump’s post also took aim at Ontario’s boycott of U.S. liquor, which was removed from all licensed liquor stores last February by order of the provincial government and has yet to return.
