WASHINGTON ― The White House said Tuesday that President Donald Trump wants to renegotiate the 2013 permit that set in motion the construction of the Gordie Howe International Bridge on the border between Detroit and Windsor, which Canada paid for, seeking a cut of the span's toll revenue.

The bridge construction deal that former Gov. Rick Snyder struck with Canadian leaders in 2012 called for Michigan and Canada to share 50-50 ownership of the bridge, with Canada financing the $4.7 billion span and being repaid with toll revenues over 30 years because both the Michigan Legislature and the Obama administration refused to pay for the bridge.

"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," a White House official told The Detroit News.

"Under the current terms, Canada gets all their money back with interest before any money ever flows to Michigan. The president wants a better deal for the American people."

The White House was referring to a key 2013 government permit allowing for the construction of the new span and a waiver of Buy America requirements issued by then-President Barack Obama.

The new White House messaging comes after Trump's Monday evening threat to block the opening of the bridge, which he could do by refusing to staff the customs plaza on the Detroit side. He aired a number of complaints about Canada, including its refusal to stock some U.S. alcoholic beverages on Canadian shelves, its tariffs on dairy products and its trade talks with China.

“This is just another example of President Trump putting America's interests first, and so he made that very clear in his call with Prime Minister Carney earlier today,” White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said at Tuesday's press briefing.

The White House official also noted that the 97-year-old Ambassador Bridge ― which is privately owned by "an American family-run business," the Moroun family ― already connects the U.S. and Canada upstream from the Gordie Howe bridge.

The Moroun family's Detroit International Bridge Co. had pressed Trump to revoke the permit during his first term, arguing that they'd lose out in competition with the publicly financed bridge. Construction began in 2018.

"It is unacceptable for the president that Canada fully owns the Gordie Howe Bridge, will control what crosses it, and owns land on both sides of this bridge," the White House official added, wrongly stating that Canada fully owns the bridge or the land it sits on in Detroit.

The Michigan Department of Transportation owns the land in Detroit's Delray neighborhood where the bridge and customs and toll plazas are located, having acquired it over several years with reimbursements from Canada.

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney told reporters Tuesday morning that he'd spoken to Trump and "the situation will be settled," without providing more details.

"I explained that Canada, of course, paid for the construction of the bridge, over $4 billion. That the ownership is shared between the state of Michigan and the government of Canada," Carney said.

'Billionaire strikes again'?

Trump's remarks alarmed Michigan officials, including U.S. Rep. Debbie Dingell, D-Ann Arbor, who said they sounded like "a billionaire strikes again," referring to the wealthy Moroun family, which owns a trucking and logistics business empire in addition to the aging Ambassador Bridge.

"Michigan owns half the bridge. This is critical to American jobs, American trade and the American economy," Dingell said. "He won Michigan, so why is he screwing the workers who voted for him?"

Former U.S. Sen. Debbie Stabenow, D-Lansing, said Tuesday she also saw the Moroun family's fingerprints on the moves by the Trump administration. She was involved in talks more than a decade ago with Canadian officials and the Snyder administration.

"Every step of the way, they've done everything they could to block the bridge because it competes with them," Stabenow said of the Moroun family.

"This is where it raises so many questions about a privately owned international asset, where they are more concerned about competition for customers across the bridge than they are Michigan's economy and our national security."

She predicted that Trump could create "real havoc" for the new bridge by blocking funds and personnel for the customs plaza in Detroit.

"This was established under Democrats and Republicans as the most efficient way to be able to get the bridge built, which was critical for not only Michigan, but for the country in terms of economic development and national security," Stabenow said. "We know that, at this point, is really just about him fighting with the Canadians."

Matthew Moroun, son of the late Ambassador Bridge owner Manuel "Matty" Moroun and a spokesman for his company, did not return messages Tuesday seeking comment.

Moroun has given millions of dollars to Republican political causes over the last decade, according to federal campaign finance disclosures. That includes $1.2 million to the Republican National Committee, including $250,000 to the RNC in 2025 alone, according to the federal disclosures.

Federal disclosures show he donated $600,000 to the Trump Victory fundraising committee across 2019 and 2020.

He has also contributed $60,000 to the Michigan Republican Party's federal account over the last decade.

Top Michigan Republicans on Tuesday embraced Trump's threat to block the opening of the bridge, arguing it was appropriate leverage in negotiating a trade deal with Canada.

Michigan House Speaker Matt Hall of Richland Township, U.S. Senate candidate Mike Rogers of White Lake Township and U.S. Rep. John James, a front-runner in the Michigan GOP gubernatorial primary, said the threat was advantageous toward ensuring Canada doesn't begin working more closely with China.

"The U.S. holds a lot of the cards here," Hall told The News on Tuesday. "And so I think they (Canada) should treat us more fairly, we should have better reciprocal trade deals with them, and I think it's really out of bounds that they were even entertaining making this deal with China."

Michigan's current governor, Democrat Gretchen Whitmer, told reporters Tuesday that she hoped Snyder would bring some information to officials in Washington, D.C., so "that they understand why this has to continue to move forward."

"It is a really important part of our economy," Whitmer said.

As of Tuesday morning, Whitmer said she hadn't spoken directly with Trump about the post he made on Truth Social Monday night about the bridge.

In a guest column Tuesday for The News, Snyder pointed out several errors in Trump's understanding of the bridge arrangement, including that it is wholly owned by Canada. Michigan owns half of the bridge under the 2012 agreement Snyder signed, which allowed the new span to be constructed without any direct contribution by Michigan taxpayers.

Snyder argued both U.S. and Canadian businesses and consumers would be harmed by efforts to block the bridge's opening, but there would be "one big winner": The Moroun family that owns the Ambassador Bridge and has lobbied against the Gordie Howe bridge in Lansing and Washington.

"We have some issues with Canada that should be negotiated," Snyder wrote. "But picking this bridge as the leverage point doesn’t seem to make the most sense given your other tools. The bridge stoppage approach would primarily harm Americans."

James, who's hoping to be Michigan's next governor, labeled Trump the “best dealmaker in the world” during a Tuesday morning radio interview in west Michigan. James had been asked specifically about Trump’s comment about the Gordie Howe International Bridge.

China was going after Canada for a new trade deal and was hoping to have “closer access to the United States through Canada,” James said on WOOD Radio’s “West Michigan Live.”

“President Trump understands how vital it is not only for our economy but also for our national security to make sure that our neighbors are aware of that,” James said. “President Trump is using every means and method at his disposal to secure America’s economy and our national security.”

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(Staff writer Grant Schwab contributed.)

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