President Donald Trump is already horrifying both experts and local politicians with his attack on an international bridge project between Detroit and Windsor, Ontario, in Canada.
Specifically, Trump is demanding that the United States own half of the Gordie Howe International Bridge, which was first planned in 2013 under the Barack Obama administration to boost tourism and regional jobs.
“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,” he wrote. “We will start negotiations, IMMEDIATELY. With all that we have given them, we should own, perhaps, at least one half of this asset. The revenues generated because of the U.S. Market will be astronomical.”
Trump then went into a bizarre rant claiming that China will forever cancel the Stanley Cup if Canada makes a trade deal with them.
This outburst did not go over well with those knowledgeable of the project.
“OK I’ve been on team ‘he’s always ranted incoherently’ (after all I posted the crazy Bananas dictator speech regularly during his first term) but this one seems a fair amount more so,” wrote political analyst Jonathan Bernstein.
Trump also got sharp rebukes from leaders in Michigan.
“This statement from the President is completely backwards,” wrote Sen. Gary Peters. “Michigan’s economy is highly integrated with Canada and the Detroit-Windsor corridor is one of the busiest border crossings for trade in our entire country. We’ve wanted this bridge for years because it will be a boon for our economy. This is another case of the President undermining Michigan businesses and workers.”
“The Gordie Howe Bridge was built by union workers on both sides of the border,” wrote Rep. Debbie Dingell. “This border is the busiest crossing between our two countries, and has been critical for not only Michigan jobs but also American jobs. Not to mention Canada paid for this bridge. This bridge was negotiated by a Republican Governor, and in 2017 Trump endorsed the bridge calling it a ‘vital economic link between our two countries.’”
“Nothing has changed,” she added. “We cannot forget Canada is our friend and ally. We have to stop these cheap shots. It helps no one, and it especially hurts our economy. I look forward to the ribbon-cutting.”
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