President Donald Trump’s threat to block the opening of the publicly owned Gordie Howe International Bridge stands to benefit 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 stop the publicly financed crossing from ever opening.
The new bridge, financed by Canada and jointly owned by Canada and Michigan, was set to open later this year.
The Moroun family spent more than $33 million in 2012 backing a statewide ballot proposal aimed at blocking the publicly owned bridge, an effort that failed when voters rejected it by a 59% to 41% margin. The Morouns, who are major Republican donors, have also donated hundreds of thousands of dollars to state and federal politicians and political committees who have opposed the new bridge.
Matthew T. Moroun, the son and business heir to the Moroun family’s transportation empire and the primary manager of the Ambassador Bridge company, donated more than $605,000 million to Trump’s campaign and Trump Victory, a joint fundraising committee for Trump’s campaign and the Republican Party, since 2019.
The long political influence appears to be paying off. Recipients of the donations are embracing Trump’s threats, including state House Speaker Matt Hall and U.S. Rep. John James, despite the harm that could come to Michigan if the bridge doesn’t open.
Meanwhile, Democrats, business groups, and former Republican Gov. Rick Snyder warned that blocking the bridge would damage Michigan’s economy and supply chains while primarily benefiting the Moroun family.
James, a leading Republican candidate for governor, received $34,300 in donations from Moroun during his congressional run in 2022 and 2023, according to campaign finance records. He also received $11,000 from Moroun during his U.S. Senate race in 2020.
James praised Trump’s approach and defended the use of 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 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 on WOOD Radio’s West Michigan Live. “President Trump is using every means and method at his disposal to secure America’s 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. Since 2017, Moroun has donated more than $35,000 to Hall’s campaign committee, according to campaign finance records.
Moroun has also given another $35,000 to the Matt Hall Majority Fund, a leadership committee created to support Hall and allied House candidates. In addition, Moroun made a direct $1,000 contribution to Hall’s state House campaign in 2019.
Hall, one of the most vocal defenders of Trump’s bridge threat, argues the move would strengthen the U.S.’s negotiating position with Canada. At the same time, he has acknowledged that the Moroun family owns the competing bridge and has suggested their company could be harmed by potential Canadian retaliation.
“I was supportive of the president’s tweet,” Hall told The Detroit News. “I think we need to renegotiate some of these deals with Canada, and he’s the ultimate deal maker.”
Hall also said the Ambassador Bridge is “owned by an American” company and “a lot of people were happy with just one bridge.”
Moroun has also been a major donor to other Michigan Republicans who have played visible roles 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 opposed 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 for governor as an independent, received more than $100,000 from the Morouns. The family also donated nearly $200,000 to Detroit City Council members and candidates using political action committees ahead of the 2017 election, a year before construction was to begin on the bridge. Neither Duggan nor city council members have commented publicly about Trump’s threat.
Snyder, who negotiated the 2012 agreement with Canada that allowed the Gordie Howe bridge to be built without Michigan taxpayer funding, wrote in a Detroit News op-ed that stopping the bridge would primarily create “one big winner”: the Moroun family.
Snyder, economists, and state officials said Trump’s threat would undercut Michigan’s economy while shielding a private monopoly at the Detroit-Windsor border.
“Trump started a reckless trade war, punched our state’s largest trading partner in the teeth, and is now trying to punish Michiganders even further for the chaos he created,” Michigan Democratic Party Chair Curtis Hertel said Tuesday. “Threatening to arbitrarily block the bridge from 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 need to pick a side: Trump’s chaos, or standing up for Michigan workers who shouldn’t have to suffer because of this disastrous trade war.”
In a high-profile speech last month at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney urged nations to seek new trade agreements outside of U.S. dependence as he pursued new trade deals with China. Trump’s tariffs on Canada have caused prices to increase and led to a Canadian boycott of U.S. business.
“When the rules no longer protect you, you must protect yourself,” he said.