Donald Trump continues to troll Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau as he fights to save his political career.
On Christmas Day afternoon, the president-elect joked on Truth Social that hockey legend Wayne Gretzky, 63, should be the country’s next leader.
“I just left Wayne Gretzky, ‘The Great One’ as he is known in hockey circles. I said, “Wayne, why don’t you run for Prime Minister of Canada, soon to be known as Governor of Canada. You would win easily, you wouldn’t even have to campaign,” Trump wrote, in his usual manner. It is a shame to describe Canada as a state.
“He wasn’t interested, but I think the people of Canada should start a DRAFT WAYNE GRETZKY movement. It would be so fun to watch!’ Trump added.
While it was clearly a joke, it gave Trump another opportunity to ridicule Trudeau despite not mentioning him by name.
Gretzky, who is widely recognized as the greatest hockey player of all time, is known to be a big Trump supporter and was one of several sports stars who endorsed him during this year’s election campaign.
He joined the likes of Nick Bosa, Harrison Butker, Brett Favre, Danica Patrick and Jake Paul in backing Trump to defeat Vice President Kamala Harris.
Gretzky played 20 seasons in the NHL from 1979 to 1999 and was nicknamed “The Great One” due to his remarkable skills.
On Christmas Day, Donald Trump joked on Truth Social about how hockey legend Wayne Gretzky, 63, should be the country’s next leader
While it was clearly a joke, it gave Trump another opportunity to ridicule Trudeau despite not mentioning him by name
Donald Trump seems to enjoy mocking controversial Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. The pair were pictured when Trudeau visited Mar-a-Lago last month
He remains the leading goal scorer, assist giver and point scorer in NHL history and is the only player in league history to amass more than 200 points in a single season.
Trump recently argued that “Canadians want Canada to be the 51st state” and offered an image of himself atop a mountain peak mapping the surrounding area next to a Canadian flag.
When Trump made the same comment to Trudeau at a dinner at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida in late November, there was reportedly a burst of laughter.
Trudeau had dinner with Trump on November 29, and although both said it was “very productive,” sources said Trump couldn’t resist making a joke at his counterpart, who he named ‘governor’ of the ‘Great State of Canada.’
The pair met at Trump’s club to discuss the incoming president’s threats to impose a punitive 25% tariff on all Canadian goods if Canada does not stem what he calls a flow of migrants and drugs into the United States. States – even though far fewer of each go to the United States. the US from Canada than from Mexico.
His suggestion raised eyebrows in Ottawa, where critics described the comments as demeaning and a not-so-subtle threat on the part of the new US leader.
Trump has repeatedly referred to Trudeau as the governor of Canada in social media posts – a title used by the leaders of the 50 US states.
“Canada will not become part of the United States, but Trump’s comments are more about leveraging what he says to get concessions from Canada by throwing Canada off balance, especially given Canada’s precarious current political climate,” says Stephen Farnsworth, a politician. Science professor at the University of Mary Washington in Fredericksburg, said.
Gretzky is known as a strong supporter of Trump and was one of several sports stars who supported him during this year’s election campaign. The photo shows Gretzky wearing a white hat with “Make America Great Again” written in gold
Wayne Gretzky is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player and former head coach. He played twenty seasons in the National Hockey League for four teams from 1979 to 1999
This screenshot from Donald Trump’s Truth Social account shows an image of newly elected President Donald Trump standing next to a Canadian flag
Trump has touted tariffs during his 2024 campaign as a way to bend other countries such as Canada to his will, although critics point out that the cost of import taxes is generally passed on to consumers.
“Maybe claim a victory on trade concessions, a tighter border or other issues.”
The proposed tariffs threaten to spark a trade war with serious consequences for both economies.
Last month, Trudeau warned that Canada must take Trump’s tariff threat seriously.
“One of the things that’s really important to understand is that when Donald Trump makes statements like this, he intends to carry them out,” Trudeau said. according to the Globe and Mail. “There’s no doubt about it.”
“Our responsibility is to point out that in this way he would not only harm Canadians who work so well with the United States, but also raise prices for American citizens and harm American industry and businesses.” Trudeau added.
The president-elect touted tariffs during his 2024 campaign as a way to bend other countries to his will, though critics pointed out that the cost of import taxes is typically passed on to consumers.
As for the embattled Trudeau, he is not expected to announce a decision on his future until the new year.
The prime minister will travel to British Columbia with his family from December 26 to January 2.
No Canadian prime minister in more than a century has won four consecutive terms. The federal elections must take place before October next year. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau looks on during Friday’s cabinet swearing-in ceremony at Rideau Hall in Ottawa
As for the embattled Trudeau, he is not expected to announce a decision on his future until the new year. In the photo, Trudeau leaves Friday after a cabinet meeting on Parliament Hill in Ottawa
Concerns about Trudeau’s leadership were exacerbated last week when Chrystia Freeland, Trudeau’s finance minister and deputy prime minister, abruptly resigned from cabinet after being told she would no longer be finance minister.
Trudeau has not discussed his future or answered questions from the media since his finance minister resigned. He previously said his administration is preparing for Trump’s inauguration on January 20.
A growing number of Liberal MPs want Trudeau to step aside for fear that the party is heading for a historic defeat.
Parliament is now closed for the holidays until the end of next month.
The left-wing New Democratic Party said last Friday it would vote “no confidence” after lawmakers reconvene on January 27.
When Trudeau returns from the holidays, he could suspend Parliament for months while a race for party leadership is held, or he could delay an opposition day when such a vote could be scheduled.
Trump prepares to return to the White House from his Mar-a-Lago estate, where he recently held dinner with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau
One person familiar with the November meeting called it a “positive, extended dinner that lasted three hours.”
Because Trudeau’s Liberals do not have an outright majority in Parliament, they have for years depended on NDP support to pass legislation and stay in power.
That support is now gone – NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh made it clear the NDP will vote to topple the government.
Trudeau, who led the country for nearly a decade, has become deeply unpopular in recent years over a wide range of issues, including the high cost of living and rising inflation.
There is no mechanism by which Trudeau’s party can force him out of office in the short term.
He could say he will step aside if a new party leader is elected, or that his Liberal Party could be forced out of power by a “no confidence” vote in parliament, which would lead to an election very likely in would be to the Conservative Party’s advantage.