Matthew Moroun
It's been no secret that the Moroun family, operators of the Ambassador Bridge linking Detroit and Canada, have tried derailing the Gordie Howe International Bridge, which is set to open later this year. The new bridge will siphon off considerable business from the Morouns.
Now, in the wake of President Trump's threat to delay the opening of that bridge, Michigan U.S. Rep. Rashida Tlaib and U.S. Rep. Robert Garcia of California, the top Democrat on the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, sent Moroun a letter Wednesday asking him to provide details of his meeting with Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, communications with White House officials, and any financial transactions involving the Trump campaign and Republican Party, the Detroit Free Press reports.
"It is flatly unacceptable and undeniably corrupt for a wealthy donor to dictate our foreign and economic policy in order to protect their own personal business interests," the letter said. "The public deserves to know the truth of the circumstances surrounding the Trump Administration’s sudden interference on behalf of one of the President’s wealthy donors."
The New York Times first reported that Moroun, son of the late Matty Moroun, met on Feb. 9 with Lutnick, who then called Trump, who hours later later rattled off a Truth Social posting threatening to delay the bridge opening, accusing Canada of treating the U.S. unfairly. The president's posting was riddled with misinformation about the bridge partnership between Michigan and Canada.
The Detroit News reported that the Moroun family's Detroit International Bridge Co. spent at least $250,000 in the second half of last year lobbying the Trump administration on issues tied to international bridge construction and operation. Moroun used the lobbying firm Ballard Partners, whose Washington, D.C., office was formerly led by Trump's White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles.
The letter from Tlaib and Garcia stated:
"It appears that you may have used your influence as a donor to President Donald Trump to jeopardize American commerce to protect your company’s bottom line. Reports indicate that shortly after you met with Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick on February 9, 2026, Secretary Lutnick briefed President Trump, who then attacked the opening of the Gordie Howe International Bridge, an alternate route to the Ambassador Bridge owned by your family."
The letter also stated that if Moroun's "interference in the Gordie Howe International Bridge project succeeds, it could increase traffic congestion, reduce economic opportunity and damage trade" between the U.S. and Canada. The letter also referenced reports that the Moroun family had donated more than $605,000 to Trump and the Republican Party since 2019.
In his Feb. 10 Truth Social posting Trump wrote:
"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. 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. Thank you for your attention to this matter!"
"As everyone knows, the Country of Canada has treated the United States very unfairly for decades. Now, things are turning around for the U.S.A., and FAST! But imagine, Canada is building a massive bridge between Ontario and Michigan. They own both the Canada and the United States side and, of course, built it with virtually no U.S. content."
"President Barack Hussein Obama stupidly gave them a waiver so they could get around the BUY AMERICAN Act, and not use any American products, including our Steel."
Truth is, Canada paid for entire bridge and intends to recoup the money through tolls. After it has been paid in full, Canada and Michigan will split the revenue from the tolls.
Trump also falsely wrote that no U.S. steel was used for the bridge. U.S. steel was used, and scores of Americans worked on the bridge for years.
