06/12/2026
Donald Trump spent months attacking the Gordie Howe International Bridge, claiming the U.S. was being treated unfairly and suggesting the project shouldn't move forward until America was "compensated."
The problem? Much of what he said was simply WRONG.
Canada paid for the bridge. Canada is the one that assumed the financial risk. And Canada will collect the tolls until construction costs are recovered. The project supported thousands of jobs on both sides of the border and is expected to strengthen one of North America's most important trade corridors for decades to come.
Now the bridge opening has been delayed while Canada and the U.S. work through "outstanding issues."
As this de Adder cartoon brilliantly illustrates, every time the facts check in, Trump's 💩🤡💩 narrative seems to end up flat on the ice. 😬
Meanwhile, this is the same president who negotiated, signed and praised CUSMA that is now threatening not to renew it. The same week. The same pattern.
This is why public journalism independent from US stakeholders truly matters.
Without CBC reporters digging into the details, many Canadians would never know that the bridge Trump criticized was funded by Canada, that his claims about ownership and compensation were inaccurate, or that American businesses and agricultural groups are actively lobbying to preserve the very trade agreement he now questions.
Public-interest journalism doesn't just report what politicians say. It checks whether it's true.
Questions for our community:
How should Canada respond when major infrastructure projects become political bargaining chips?
At what point does uncertainty start hurting workers, businesses and investors on both sides of the border?
Do you think independent fact-checking and public-interest journalism are more important than ever in an era where misinformation can travel faster than the truth?
And be honest... if Gordie Howe himself could weigh in on this debate, would he be more impressed by the bridge, or by his apparent new side hustle fact-checking Donald Trump? 🇨🇦🏒🌉 💩🤡💯🎯😆🇨🇦
Cartoon credit: Michael de Adder.