U.S. President-elect Donald Trump shared on his Truth Social platform that during a Christmas Day visit, he suggested to Canadian hockey legend Wayne Gretzky that he should run for prime minister of Canada. Trump described the interaction, saying, “I just left Wayne Gretzky, ‘The Great One’ as he is known in ice-hockey circles,” adding, “I said, ‘Wayne, why don’t you run for prime minister of Canada, soon to be known as the governor of Canada — you would win easily, you wouldn’t even have to campaign.’ He had no interest.”
Trump’s comment about Canada becoming the “governor of Canada” reflects his repeated suggestion that the country should become a U.S. state, a notion Ottawa dismisses as a joke. Trump also mentioned that it would be “fun to watch” if Canadians launched a movement to encourage Gretzky to run for office.
Experts have indicated that Ottawa’s focus remains on potential tariffs under the incoming Trump presidency, rather than responding to his rhetoric about annexing or purchasing Canada. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s minority government faces the threat of being toppled by a confidence vote next year following the unexpected resignation of Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland.
Trump also sent Christmas greetings to Trudeau, referring to him once again as a “governor” and suggesting that if Canada became a U.S. state, Canadians would enjoy a 60% tax cut. “Their businesses would immediately double in size, and they would be militarily protected like no other country anywhere in the world,” Trump added. He also referenced his previous ambitions to annex Greenland and the Panama Canal.
Gretzky, who has previously supported Conservative politicians like former Ontario Progressive Conservative leader Patrick Brown, has been involved in Canadian politics. In the 2015 federal election, he joined Conservative leader Stephen Harper in front of a crowd of supporters, where Gretzky praised Harper as an “unreal prime minister” and “wonderful to the whole country.” Despite his political ties, Gretzky has stated that he always responds to a prime minister’s request, regardless of party affiliation, and once hosted a lunch for former Liberal Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau.
