The Moroun family, which owns the nearly 100-year-old Ambassador Bridge between Michigan and Ontario, has long opposed the new Gordie Howe International Bridge. The billionaire family has spent years and millions of dollars trying to stop the project, which will end their monopoly over commercial truck tolls in the region.
A review of U.S. lobbying and campaign finance records shows the family has worked to influence politics around the busy U.S.-Canada border crossing. Their efforts are getting new attention after U.S. President Donald Trump threatened to block the opening of the $6-billion bridge, which was fully funded by Canada.
According to a New York Times report, Trump’s comments came shortly after Matthew Moroun, chairman of the company that runs the Ambassador Bridge, met with U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick in Washington. The White House and Moroun did not comment, and the report has not been independently confirmed.
The bridge company recently renewed ties with Ballard Partners, a lobbying firm connected to Trump’s circle. Since August 2025, it has paid the firm $250,000 to lobby the White House, Congress and the State Department on issues related to international bridges. Records show six lobbyists are working on the file — the most the company has hired in about 20 years.
Matthew Moroun and his wife have also donated heavily to Republican causes. Although he supported Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis in the 2024 presidential race, Moroun later gave $250,000 to the Republican National Committee. Some of that money was directed to accounts linked to legal expenses, though it’s unclear what cases were involved.
