(Jonah Elkowitz / Shutterstock)
President-elect Donald Trump reignited his feud with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Christmas Day, this time urging Canadians to draft hockey legend Wayne Gretzky to replace Trudeau. The suggestion, made on Trump’s Truth Social platform, sparked a wave of reactions ranging from amusement to bewilderment.
“I just left Wayne Gretzky, ‘The Great One’ as he is known in Ice Hockey circles,” Trump posted on 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!”
Gretzky, a MAGA ally who spent election night with Trump at Mar-A-Lago, reportedly declined the proposal, but Trump’s remarks immediately drew both praise and criticism.
In MAGA circles, the idea was met with enthusiasm, while others took to social media to poke fun at the unusual suggestion. Former journalist James McLeod quipped on Bluesky, “I can’t be mad that Wayne Gretzky just had his Christmas ruined. This sort of suggests that Trump is basically unaware and/or indifferent to the existence of Pierre Poilievre.”
Artist Art Candee added humor to the conversation, writing, “I know Donald Trump claims he doesn’t drink, but babbling about Wayne Gretzky makes me think otherwise. Did someone slip him a pot brownie?”
Freelance journalist Justin Ling joined in, commenting, “The president-elect is spending his Christmas trolling Canadians by suggesting they make Wayne Gretzky their ‘governor.’”
Reactions from X users ranged from skepticism to outright mockery. “Wayne Gretzky was a great hockey player, but he is currently a terrible Canadian,” wrote one user, while another joked, “Make America Skate Again.”
The proposal comes amid weeks of Trump’s ongoing critiques of Trudeau and Canada. Trump has repeatedly suggested Canada should become a U.S. state and has vowed to impose new tariffs on goods from Canada, Mexico, and China, a move experts warn would have “damaging” effects on Ottawa, according to Toronto CityNews.
While Trump’s call to “Draft Wayne Gretzky” seems unlikely to materialize, it continues to highlight his penchant for using social media to provoke and entertain on the international stage
