Donald Trump is continuing 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 how 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 Ice Hockey circles. 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”,’ Trump wrote, using his usual put-down of describing Canada as a state.
‘He had no interest, but I think the people of Canada should start a DRAFT WAYNE GRETZKY Movement. It would be so much fun to watch!’ Trump added.
Although clearly made in jest, it gave Trump another opportunity to poke fun at Trudeau despite not mentioning him by name.
Gretzky, who is widely acknowledged to be the greatest ice hockey player of all time, is known to be a huge Trump supporter and was one of several sports stars to support 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 beat vice president Kamala Harris.
Gretzky played 20 seasons in the NHL from 1979 to 1999, earning the nickname ‘The Great One’ thanks to his remarkable ability.
On Christmas Day afternoon, Donald Trump joked on Truth Social how hockey legend, Wayne Gretzky, 63, should be the country’s next leader
Although clearly made in jest, it gave Trump another opportunity to poke fun at Trudeau despite not mentioning him by name
Donald Trump seems to enjoy mocking embattled Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. The pair are pictured when Trudeau visited Mar-a-Lago last month
He is still the leading goal scorer, assist provider and point scorer in NHL history and is the only player in the competition’s history to amass more than 200 points in a single season.
Trump, meanwhile, has also recently been suggesting that Canada become the 51st U.S. state, an idea that has little basis in reality, while also referring to Trudeau as ‘governor’ of the ‘Great State of Canada.’
Trump recently posted that ‘Canadians want Canada to become the 51st State’ and offered an image of himself superimposed on a mountaintop surveying surrounding territory next to a Canadian flag.
‘Many Canadians want Canada to become the 51st State,’ Trump posted in an earlier Truth Social posting.
‘They would save massively on taxes and military protection. I think it is a great idea. 51st State!!!’ he added.
When Trump made the same comment to Trudeau at a dinner at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida in late November, howls of laughter reportedly erupted.
Trudeau had dinner with Trump on November 29, and although both said it was ‘very productive’, sources said that Trump couldn’t resist taking a jab at his counterpart by quipping that Canada ‘could become a state.’
The pair met at Trump’s club to discuss the incoming president’s threats to impose a punishing 25% tariff on all Canadian goods if Canada does not stem what he calls a flow of migrants and drugs into the United States – even though far fewer of each cross into the U.S. from Canada than from Mexico.
Gretzky is known to be a huge Trump supporter and was one of several sport stars to support him during this year’s election campaign. Pictured, 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 20 seasons in the National Hockey League for four teams from 1979 to 1999
This screenshot from Donald Trump’s Truth Social account shows am image of President-elect Donald Trump standing beside a Canadian flag
Trump touted tariffs during his 2024 campaign as a way to bend other countries like Canada to his will, though critics point out the cost of import taxes are generally passed on to consumers
His suggestion raised eyebrows in Ottawa with some commenting that it was ‘not funny,’ humiliating and a not-so-subtle threat on the part of the incoming US leader.
Since then, Trump has repeatedly referred to Trudeau in social media posts as the governor of Canada – a title used by leaders of the 50 US states.
‘Canada is not going to become part of the United States, but Trump’s comments are more about leveraging what he says to get concessions from Canada by putting Canada off balance, particularly given the precarious current political environment in Canada,’ Stephen Farnsworth, a political science professor at the University of Mary Washington in Fredericksburg, said.
‘Maybe claim a win on trade concessions, a tighter border or other things.’
The proposed tariffs threaten to spark a trade war with severe consequences for both economies.
Last month Trudeau told reporters that Canada should take Trump’s tariff threat seriously.
‘One of the things that is really important to understand is that Donald Trump, when he makes statements like that, he plans on carrying them out,’ Trudeau said, according to the Globe and Mail. ‘There’s no question about it.’
‘Our responsibility is to point out that, in this way, he would be actually not just be harming Canadians, who work so well with the United States, he’d actually be raising prices for American citizens as well and hurting 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 are generally passed on to the consumer.
No Canadian prime minister in more than a century has won four straight terms. The federal election has to be held before next October. PM Justin Trudeau looks on during a cabinet swearing-in ceremony at Rideau Hall in Ottawa, last Friday
As for embattled Trudeau, he is not expected to announce a decision on his future until the new year. Pictured, Trudeau leaves after a cabinet meeting on Parliament Hill in Ottawa, on Friday
As for embattled Trudeau, he is not expected to announce a decision on his future until the new year.
The prime minister will be traveling to British Columbia with his family from December 26 to January 2.
Concerns about Trudeau’s leadership were exacerbated last week when Chrystia Freeland, Trudeau’s finance minister and deputy prime minister, abruptly resigned from the Cabinet after she was told she would no longer be finance minister.
Trudeau has not addressed his future or taken questions from the media since his finance minister resigned. But he has said his government is preparing for Trump’s inauguration on January 20.
A growing number of Liberal Members of Parliament want Trudeau to step aside fearing the party is headed for an historic defeat.
It remains an open question whether Trudeau will lead the Liberal party into next year’s elections.
Parliament is now shut for the holidays until late next month.
The leftist 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 move to suspend Parliament for months while a party leadership race is held.
Trump has been preparing to re-enter the White House from his Mar-a-Lago estate, where he recently held a dinner with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau
A person familiar with the November’s meeting called it a ‘positive wide-ranging dinner that lasted three hours’
Or he could delay an opposition day when a ‘no confidence vote’ could be scheduled in Parliament.
Because Trudeau’s Liberals do not hold an outright majority in Parliament, they have for years depended on the support of the NDP to pass legislation and stay in power.
But that support has vanished – NDP leader Jagmeet Singh made clear the NDP will vote to bring down the government.
Trudeau, who has led the country for nearly a decade, has become widely unpopular in recent years over a wide range of issues , including the high cost of living and rising inflation.
There is no mechanism for Trudeau’s party to force him out in the short term.
He could say he will step aside when a new party leader is chosen, or his Liberal party could be forced from power by a ‘no confidence’ vote in Parliament that would trigger an election that would very likely favor the opposing Conservative Party.
