That Woman from Michigan" Takes Victory Lap Across the Gordie Howe Bridge in a Ford Mustang Convertible

Right, the day has finally arrived. The Gordie Howe Bridge, costing $4.6 billion and decades in the making, finally opened on Monday, 27 July. It was a momentous day for everyone, especially after repeated delays caused by international trade friction. What should have been a moment of fragile unity between our two countries turned into a stand-off, with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney refusing to blink. A particular moment of triumph that President Donald Trump couldn't stop with all his bluster? Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer, driving across the bridge in a Ford Mustang Convertible.

First off, I love a baddie in a convertible. I mean, who doesn't? And it's a nice day in Detroit for it too. But it's particularly satisfying to see Whitmer – the woman Trump once sneered at as "that woman from Michigan" – as one of the first to drive across the fraught bridge. She's been an effective and popular governor in the state, one that cut COVID rates from the worst in the nation to some of the safest, faced abduction via unhinged PT Cruiser owners, and tried her best to protect the auto industry from needless Republican hijinks.

Her survival, along with the Bridge's, is a testament to perseverance in the face of adversity. Though while the Gordie Howe Bridge is finally open, the celebration has been tarnished by our own country's actions.

Big Gretch

The Bridge was supposed to open in June, but even as early as April, folks connected with the bridge opening were concerned Trump would throw a spanner in the works. Which of course, Trump eventually did. The ribbon-cutting ceremony was delayed several times before the Canadians had enough, took their puck, and went home. Last week, Canada had its own ribbon-cutting without the presence of any American officials. On Monday, the bridge opened to traffic for the first time starting at noon, and Michigan's governor was there to take a literal victory lap.

Governor Whitmer continued the work started by her predecessor, Governor Rick Snyder, to get the bridge terminus on the American side built and properly connected to the U.S. freeway system via Detroit. After more than 2,000 days of construction, at the very last minute, Trump demanded a new deal with the bridge that cut the state out of any proceeds at all from tolls. Every day the bridge stayed closed cost Michigan almost a million dollars a day in revenue, and now the feds have cost the state any profit sharing once Canada's costs for building the bridge are paid.

When that still wasn't disruptive enough, Trump levied a host of new tariffs on Canada, a move which seemed the final straw: Canada opted to simply go ahead with the opening. As for the new tariffs themselves, if they actually do go into effect, Canada plans to respond with its own retaliatory trade measures.

We've hurt a lot of our trading partners in the last two years, but none more so than our friends to the north. Jokes about making the country the "51st State" and ridiculous trade threats are a slap in the face to our closest trading partner. At least Michigan gets to show Canada that we aren't all like that. Some of us are cool enough for a pair of Buffs.