Construction continues on the Gordie Howe International Bridge, in Windsor, Ont., on Tuesday.Dax Melmer/The Canadian Press
After Donald Trump came out this week with his latest instalment in his Browbeat Thy Neighbour series – his dip into Loo Loo Land with his Truth Social threat to block the opening of the Gordie Howe Bridge – I was keen to check in on the American reaction, from readers in both conservative and liberal media.
Out of about 1,000 comments I read, I could only find 20 or so that sided with Mr. Trump – about one in 50. All the rest were in Canada’s corner.
The level of disgust with the mad king was extraordinary. With his tariffs, his annexation talk, and his other cross-border insults, there was opposition among Americans, though not as much positive Canada talk as might have been expected.
Mr. Trump’s bridge outburst provided remarkable symbolism. Vowing to block a big, beautiful entry passage from his northern neighbour, the great friend to his country, fit perfectly with his ugly American persona.
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The irrationality of what he was saying stood out for so many. This is a President who wants Canadians to buy more American products; why block the fantastic new artery that would allow them to cross the border and do just that?
Mr. Trump couldn’t get Mexico to pay for his wall. Now, here was Canada, with just a little help from Michigan, paying for the bridge – it didn’t need a penny from Mr. Trump – and still, he is demanding compensation.
Well actually, some other Americans argued, Ottawa blew it. All the government had to do was name the bridge after him – call it the Gordie Howe-Donald Trump Bridge, or something – and he’d be up there cutting the ribbon, saying it was the most magnificent bridge ever built.
In terms of political ramifications, what Mr. Trump did was dumbfounding. Michigan is quite dependent economically on trade with Ontario. Michigan is also a big player in the coming midterm elections, with a Senate seat up for grabs. How could his social-media spasm not be a gift to the Democrats?
All this reaction came even before The New York Times published a story on what triggered his eruption. A member of the Moroun family, the billionaire owners of the nearby Ambassador Bridge, reportedly lobbied Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick and spoke with Mr. Trump on Monday. That apparently was all it took to get him to do the rage-post. That’s how much this President is beholden to his billionaire buddies who support him.
This news prompted former Alberta premier Jason Kenney to tweet: “With Trump it’s not the ‘art of the deal.’ It’s always the art of the grift.”
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The scale of condemnation descending on Mr. Trump for this latest Canadian foray is such that it’s easy to make a prediction – even for me. (Whenever I make forecasts, I’m reminded of this barb from some wag who was clearly not enamoured of my track record: “I read it in a Lawrence Martin column, but it might have been true anyway.”) But it’s not going out on a limb to say that Mr. Trump will back down on this one, and hopefully eat more crow than the Big Macs he loves. The bridge will open, and Ottawa will not have to make any significant concessions for it to happen.
After the President’s outburst, Prime Minister Mark Carney got on the blower and talked to Mr. Trump, giving the impression that there would not be a problem. He said the President requested that U.S. Ambassador Pete Hoekstra, who hails from Michigan, “play a role in soothing the conversation in and around the bridge.” Soothing isn’t really this envoy’s style, but that’s the instruction.
Far from being a problem, the whole dust-up is likely to be a plus for the Canadian side. The supportive commentary is not just coming from the American people, but also from the U.S.’s professional class. The Washington Post, whose proprietor Jeff Bezos has been acting like a Trump sycophant, was out with an editorial immediately, saying that Mr. Trump had erred badly, scoring a goal on his own team.
James Blanchard, the former governor of Michigan and a former ambassador to Canada, said the episode showed Mr. Trump to be “acting like a petulant 12-year-old.” Still? That’s what was often said during his first term in the Oval Office.
Having such a clear verdict on the border bridge bellyflop is important. This story will likely have legs, and stick around for a while as a reminder of Mr. Trump’s unjust treatment of Canada. American public opinion will put pressure on him to ease off. That’s not to say he will – but it will help.