Chairman Donald Trump’s threat to block the opening of the government-owned Gordie Howe International Bridge benefits one politically connected billionaire family.
The Morouns, who own the rival Ambassador Bridge, have spent years and millions of dollars lobbying, funding campaigns and backing a ballot measure to prevent the publicly funded border crossing from ever opening.
The new bridge, funded by Canada and jointly owned by Canada and Michigan, is expected to open later this year.
The Moroun family spent more than $33 million in 2012 supporting a statewide ballot proposal aimed at blocking the state-owned bridge, an effort that failed when voters rejected it by a 59% to 41% margin. The Morouns, major Republican donors, have also donated hundreds of thousands of dollars to state and federal politicians and political committees opposed to the new bridge.
Matthew T. Moroun, the son and business heir to the Moroun family’s transportation empire and the key executive of the Ambassador Bridge company, has donated more than $605,000 million since 2019 to Trump’s campaign and Trump Victory, a joint fundraising committee for Trump’s campaign and the Republican Party.
The long-lasting political influence appears to be paying off. Recipients of the donations are embracing Trump’s threats, including House Speaker Matt Hall and U.S. Rep. John James, despite the damage that could happen to Michigan if the bridge doesn’t open.
Meanwhile, Democrats, business groups and former Republican Gov. Rick Snyder warned about it blocking the bridge would hurt Michigan’s economy and supply chains while it mainly benefited the Moroun family.
James, a leading Republican candidate for governor, received $34,300 in donations from Moroun during his 2022 and 2023 presidential campaigns, according to campaign finance data. He also received $11,000 from Moroun during his 2020 U.S. Senate race.
James praised Trump’s approach and defended using the bridge as leverage in trade negotiations with Canada, even as state and federal officials warned that disrupting one of North America’s busiest trade corridors could drive up costs for Michigan manufacturers and consumers.
“President Trump understands how important it is not only to our economy, but to our national security to make sure our neighbors are aware of that,” James said. West Michigan Live from WOOD Radio. “President Trump is using every means and method at his disposal to secure the American economy and our national security.”
Campaign finance records show Hall is also one of the Michigan Republicans who has received significant political support from Moroun. Moroun has donated more than $35,000 to Hall’s campaign committee since 2017, according to campaign finance records.
Moroun has also donated another $35,000 to the Matt Hall Majority Fund, a leadership committee created to support Hall and related House candidates. Additionally, Moroun made a direct contribution of $1,000 to Hall’s State House campaign in 2019.
Hall, one of the most outspoken defenders of Trump’s bridge threat, argues the move would strengthen the U.S. negotiating position vis-à-vis Canada. At the same time, he has acknowledged that the Moroun family owns the competing bridge and has suggested that their business could be hurt by possible Canadian retaliation.
“I supported the president’s tweet,” Hall said The Detroit News. “I think we need to renegotiate some of these deals with Canada, and he is the ultimate dealmaker.”
Hall also said that the Ambassador Bridge is “owned by an American” company and that “a lot of people were happy with just one bridge.”
Moroun has also been a major donor to other Michigan Republicans who have played a visible role in opposing or questioning the new bridge over the years. State Rep. Matt Maddock, a longtime Trump ally who endorsed Trump’s threat, previously received $6,000 in campaign donations from Moroun and repeatedly against the new span.
The Morouns have also donated heavily to local politicians in Detroit, where the American side of the bridge is located. Former Duggan Mayor Mike Duggan, who is running as an independent governor, received more than $100,000 from the Morouns. The family also donated nearly $200,000 to Detroit City Council members and candidates who used political action committees ahead of the 2017 elections, a year before construction on the bridge was set to begin. Neither Duggan nor city council members have publicly responded to Trump’s threat.
Snyder, who negotiated the 2012 deal with Canada that allowed the Gordie Howe Bridge to be built without Michigan taxpayer funding, wrote in one Detroit News op-ed that stopping the bridge would mainly result in ‘one big winner’: the Moroun family.
Snyder, economists and state officials said Trump’s threat would undermine Michigan’s economy while protecting a private monopoly on the Detroit-Windsor border.
“Trump started a reckless trade war, punched our state’s largest trading partner in the teeth and is now seeking to punish Michiganders even further for the chaos he has created,” Curtis Hertel, chairman of the Michigan Democratic Party, said Tuesday. “Threatening to arbitrarily block the bridge’s opening would amount to economic sabotage against Michigan, leading to higher prices, fewer jobs and greater uncertainty for our state’s auto industry.”
He added: “Michigan Republicans at every level must choose a side: Trump’s chaos, or standing up for Michigan workers who should not have to suffer from this disastrous trade war.”
In one controversial speech last month at the World Economic Forum in DavosIn Switzerland, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney urged countries to seek new trade deals outside US dependence, while pursuing new trade deals with China. Trump’s tariffs on Canada have caused prices to rise and led to a Canadian boycott of American companies.
“When the rules no longer protect you, you have to protect yourself,” he said.
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