President Donald Trump has returned to one of his more head-scratching threats in a screed against Canada.
Posting on Truth Social on Monday, the 79-year-old president went on an unhinged rant about the building of the Gordie Howe International Bridge between Detroit and Windsor, Ontario. He thinks the project is unfair because “they own both the Canada and the United States side,” and apparently didn’t use any U.S. materials during construction (which officials north of the border say isn’t true.)
He is threatening to halt the project, save for restitution for the U.S. “I will not allow this bridge to open until the United States is fully compensated for everything we have given them,” he demanded.
“It’s just insane, when I read that post I can’t believe what I’m reading, but it’s par for the course,” Windsor Mayor Drew Dilkens responded.
Weaved into the 300-word missive was the latest instance of a bizarre threat to Canada, based on its growing economic ties with China. The relationship has grown stronger since Trump began his trade war with Canada. “Now, on top of everything else, Prime Minister Carney wants to make a deal with China — which will eat Canada alive," Trump said.
In January, Canada negotiated an agreement to lower tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles in return for lower import taxes on Canadian farm products.
Trump then made the threat about Canada’s national sport.
“We’ll just get the leftovers! I don’t think so. The first thing China will do is terminate ALL Ice Hockey being played in Canada, and permanently eliminate The Stanley Cup,” he wrote.
There is, of course, no threat to hockey. Trump is trying to paint increased international trade with China, Canada’s second biggest trading partner after the U.S., as an existential threat to Canadian culture itself, using hockey as a vehicle.
He’s done it before, too. He spoke about the subject at the premiere of a vanity documentary about his wife, Melania, last month. A reporter asked what he thought about the U.K. teaming up with China. He quickly pivoted to Canada and ice hockey.
“I know China very well, President Xi is a friend of mine, I know him very well…The first thing they’re going to do is say you are not allowed to play ice hockey anymore. That’s not good. Canada’s not going to like that,” he said.
In January, as Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney hashed out a deal with Xi Jinping and his team, Trump once again brought up the topic. “China is successfully and completely taking over the once Great Country of Canada. So sad to see it happen,” Trump said in a post on Truth Social.
He added, “I only hope they leave Ice Hockey alone! President DJT.”
