President-elect Donald Trump unwrapped a Christmas Day flood of reaction after he continued his revived feud with Canada's Prime Minister Justin Trudeau by urging the Canadian people to start a movement to draft hockey legend Wayne Gretzky to replace him.
Trump took to his Truth Social platform Wednesday to say he told the Canadian hockey great that he should run for prime minister of Canada during a Christmas Day visit.
“I just left Wayne Gretzky, ‘The Great One’ as he is known in Ice Hockey circles,” Trump posted Wednesday. “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, but I think the people of Canada should start a DRAFT WAYNE GRETZKY Movement. It would be so much fun to watch!”
Trump’s suggestion that Gretzky – a MAGA ally who spent election night at the incoming president’s Mar-A-Lago golf resort – run for prime minister was heaped with praise from MAGA world but raised eyebrows from curious onlookers.
“I can't be mad that Wayne Gretzky just had his Christmas ruined,” former journalist James McLeod wrote on Bluesky. “This sort of suggests that Trump is basically unaware and/or indifferent to the existence of Pierre Poilievre,” he said about the conservative Canadian politician.
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“I know Donald Trump claims he doesn’t drink but babbling about Wayne Gretzky makes me think otherwise,” artist Art Candee wrote to her social media followers. “Did someone slip him a pot brownie?”
“The president-elect is spending his Christmas trolling Canadians by suggesting they make Wayne Gretzky their ‘governor,’ freelance journalist Justin Ling wrote on Bluesky.
But the feelings of many others were encapsulated by X user redsnoopy69, who told his over 17,000 X followers: “Wayne Gretzky was a great hockey player, but he is currently a terrible Canadian...”
“Make America Skate Again,” proclaimed another X user. “Donald Trump cheerleading for ice hockey legend Wayne Gretzky to stand as Governor of Canada. Oh sweet Moses.”
Trudeau and the country he leads have remained the subject of Trump’s taunts in recent weeks, with Trump repeatedly suggesting Canada become a U.S. state, and promising to impose massive new tariffs on Canada, Mexico and China goods that experts have said would be “damaging” to Ottawa, the Toronto CityNews reported.
