U.S. President-elect Donald Trump has suggested that NHL legend Wayne Gretzky replace Prime Minister Justin Trudeau as the new “governor of Canada” after the two shared a holiday visit on Christmas Day.
“I just left Wayne Gretzky, ‘The Great One’ as he is known in ice-hockey circles,” wrote Trump in a social media post 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,” he continued.
Trump’s “governor” reference has been an ongoing joke at Trudeau’s expense that began after the prime minister travelled to his Mar-A-Lago estate in Florida to discuss impending tariffs on Canadians imports.
Trump reportedly told Trudeau at their dinner in Florida in reference to the proposed tariffs, that “If Canada can’t survive without ripping off the U.S. to the tune of US$100-billion a year, then maybe Canada should become the 51st state.”
The tariffs are a punitive measure in response to what the Trump administration views as the Liberals’ failure to address border security concerns.
Trump has expressed concerns about the high volume irregular migrants and drugs, particularly fentanyl, that has been entering the U.S. from Canada in recent years.
The Trudeau government announced a suite of new measures to protect Canada’s southern border, including 24/7 surveillance with the use of “helicopters, drones and mobile surveillance towers.”
However, no timeline has been given as to when such measures will be implemented, nor if the government currently has the resources to enforce them.
The incumbent president went on to say that it would be “fun to watch” if Canadians would start a movement to “DRAFT WAYNE GRETZKY” for the position.
Gretzky has endorsed Conservative politicians in the past such as former prime minister Stephen Harper, whom he once called an “unreal prime minister” that has been “wonderful to the whole country.”
He also publicly supported former Ontario Progressive Conservative leader Patrick Brown during his leadership run in 2015.
