Trump Faces Backlash Over Threats to Gordie Howe Bridge Project

Wall Street Journal editorial board slams president's 'crony bridgegate' as bad politics and governance by cronyism

Published on Feb. 12, 2026

Got story updates? Submit your updates here. ›

President Donald Trump is facing criticism from the conservative Wall Street Journal editorial board over his threats to shut down the opening of the Gordie Howe International Bridge, which will connect Detroit, Michigan, and Windsor, Ontario. The editorial board argues that Trump's intervention is an example of 'shoddy treatment of an ally' and 'bad politics' driven by 'governance by cronyism', where the president is trying to advance the agendas of special interests.

Why it matters

The Gordie Howe Bridge project is a major infrastructure initiative that has been in the works for years, financed and built by Canada. Trump's threats to interfere with the project's opening are seen as damaging to U.S.-Canada relations and potentially providing a 'political gift' to Democrats if they retake the House in the upcoming midterm elections.

The details

Earlier this week, Trump accused Canada of giving the U.S. a bad deal on the Gordie Howe Bridge project and demanded that the two countries negotiate a deal where the U.S. becomes a partial owner of the Canadian-financed and built project. The Wall Street Journal editorial board criticized this intervention as an example of the administration's 'governance by cronyism', where the president is susceptible to 'special pleading' from various interests trying to influence him.

  • The Gordie Howe International Bridge is set to open later this year.

The players

Donald Trump

The President of the United States who threatened to shut down the opening of the Gordie Howe International Bridge project.

Wall Street Journal editorial board

The editorial board of the conservative Wall Street Journal newspaper that published a scathing rebuke of Trump's threats regarding the Gordie Howe Bridge project.

Got photos? Submit your photos here. ›

What they’re saying

“The intervention is another illustration of the Administration's governance by cronyism. All sorts of people are trying to reach Mr. Trump with special pleading, maybe even to present him with some gold-plated award that they invented yesterday. The bet is that, in return for their investment, they might soon have a pardon, or a tariff exemption, or even the President mucking up U.S. national interests to advance their agenda.”

— Wall Street Journal editorial board (Wall Street Journal)

What’s next

The fallout from Trump's threats regarding the Gordie Howe Bridge project could become a 'political gift' to Democrats if they retake control of the House of Representatives in the upcoming midterm elections.

The takeaway

Trump's interference in the Gordie Howe Bridge project, which is being financed and built by Canada, is seen as an example of 'governance by cronyism' where the president is susceptible to special interests trying to influence him, rather than acting in the national interest. This could further damage U.S.-Canada relations and provide a political advantage to Democrats in the midterm elections.