A Michigan Senate candidate is accusing Trump of keeping the Canada-US bridge closed to help donors
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The delay in the opening of the bridge connecting Michigan and Canada has spilled over into one of the most watched Senate races in the country, as Democratic candidate Mallory McMorrow launched the first major attempt to turn the debate into a political trial for US President Donald Trump and the Republicans.
McMorrow’s new ad, first shared with the Associated Press, accuses Trump of blocking the opening of the Gordie Howe International Bridge and suggests he is doing so to benefit a major political donor, building on the anti-corruption message he wanted to put into his campaign.
The bridge, which spans the Detroit River and connects the Motor City to Windsor, Ont., was scheduled for a ribbon-cutting ceremony on June 12. It was abruptly postponed after officials said the US and Canada were still working to resolve “remaining issues.”
The dispute gives Democrats a rare opportunity to tie Trump directly to a project with tangible economic consequences in a war zone.
For McMorrow, who is trying to gain ground for a three-seat primary, it also provides an opportunity to establish himself as the first Democratic candidate to make the controversy a campaign issue. He is running with Rep. US Haley Stevens and Abdul El-Sayed.
The winner is expected to face Republican Mike Rogers, who was defeated by current Sen. Elissa Slotkin in 2024.
Rogers also used the bridge in political messages, saying that if he was sent to Washington he would make sure the bridge was open.
The ad claims Trump is blocking a bridge for a billionaire donor
Standing in front of the bridge, McMorrow says in the ad that it’s ready to open but it’s staying closed because “Donald Trump won’t open it.”
“I’m Mallory McMorrow and I have one message for the president: open this beautiful bridge,” she said.
McMorrow says Trump is blocking the bridge because “the billionaire family that owns the other bridge gave him millions of dollars.”
It has been almost two weeks since the Gordie Howe International Bridge was supposed to open in a few days, before that event was cancelled. The editorial board of an engineering journal says it’s no longer common to know why — while a Michigan gubernatorial member says Canada needs to do something about wildfire smoke. CBC’s Acton Clarkin has more.
That claim refers to the Moroun family, owners of the secret Embassy Bridge between Detroit and Windsor.
Federal campaign finance records show that Matthew Moroun donated $1 million to Trump’s super PAC earlier this year.
In February, Trump demanded on social media that Canada cede at least half ownership of the bridge to the US government and accept other unspecified demands, part of his broader standoff with Canada over trade.
Canada financed the construction of the bridge. The project was negotiated by Rick Snyder, the former Republican governor of Michigan, and the project has been ongoing since 2018 and costs about 6.4 billion dollars.
This bridge is named after Canadian hockey legend Gordie Howe, who spent 25 seasons leading the Detroit Red Wings, this bridge is expected to be another important economic artery between Canada and the United States.
McMorrow made some big changes. He may need to
McMorrow is hoping to enter a race that many in the state see as a two-candidate race.
In an interview with the AP, McMorrow admitted that from the beginning of the race he was a “dark horse” person.
A member of the provincial parliament known for his viral speech in 2022, he is facing a minister with great resources in Stevens. El-Sayed, who ran unsuccessfully for governor in 2018, charted a progressive path with the support of Sen. Bernie Sanders.
Gordie Howe’s digital ad is the second ad in the series, with an initial buy of more than $400,000 on TV and digital platforms in the Detroit market. The first ad was a 30-second TV spot that aired on Tuesday.
“Right now in this primary, two of my opponents are trying to introduce a false choice,” McMorrow said.
Foreign teams have also started investing in the race. A PAC linked to the American Israel Public Affairs Committee has spent nearly $8 million this month promoting Stevens, while the Yes Michigan Action Committee, the largest PAC supporting McMorrow, has earmarked nearly $6 million for advertising, according to AdImpact.
Last week, El-Sayed became the first Democratic candidate in the race to use an ad directly.
“We have six weeks. I mean, anything can happen,” McMorrow said. “There are many people who are just beginning to sing in this race.”
