Donald Trump says he urged Wayne Gretzky to run for prime minister in Christmas visit

U.S. President-elect Donald Trump says he told Canadian hockey legend Wayne Gretzky he should run for prime minister during a Christmas visit but adds that the athlete declined interest in politics.

Trump says on his Truth Social platform that he told Gretzky he would easily win an election if he ran for prime minister of Canada.

Trump adds that the role would soon be the “governor” of Canada when the country becomes a U.S. state, a repeated comment that Ottawa insists is a joke.

The president-elect says Gretzky responded that he wasn’t interested, and he adds that it would be “fun to watch” if Canadians pushed the retired hockey player to seek office.

The Canadian Press has tried to contact Gretzky through his agents.

Experts have said that Ottawa is rightfully focused on the prospect of damaging tariffs under the looming Trump presidency instead of pushing back on rhetoric about annexing or purchasing Canada.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 25, 2024.

Dylan Robertson, The Canadian Press