The Globe and Mail reports in its Wednesday edition that Donald Trump's brand is throwing his weight around: He did it as a property developer and as a television character. As President, he makes sure that everyone knows he's the boss. Still, it could seem shocking that he would shake down Canada over the Gordie Howe bridge. Even though Canada paid for $6.4-billion it and had planned to use the toll revenue to recoup the cost, the federal government agreed to share net profits with the United States. Otherwise the bridge might not open, hurting the Canadian economy. To Mr. Trump, there are strong and weak, winners and losers. Canada wanted to get the bridge operational and so had to pay up. Alliances and shared histories don't carry any weight, not to mention existing agreements. There are lessons in all this for Canada. The first and most obvious is that a deal with the U.S. exists only as long as Mr. Trump feels like continuing to honour it. Tactically, Canada can learn. Mr. Trump could have held out longer and probably secured a bigger slice of the pie, but he didn't because Michigan is a swing state and he is keenly aware that Democrats may retake the House in the midterms, and impeachment looms. Again.