In a Christmas Day message, former and future President Donald Trump encouraged Wayne Gretzky to run for Prime Minister of Canada.
Trump wrote on Truth Social that he spoke with the legendary hockey player and Canadian icon, telling Gretzky that he could easily win the national election.
He also mentioned Gretzky as “Governor of Canada,” an apparent reference to his joke about the northern neighbor becoming the 51st state in the United States.
“I just left Wayne Gretzky, ‘The Great One’ as he is known in ice hockey circles,” Trump wrote on Truth Social on Wednesday afternoon. “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 stated that Gretzky had no interest in running.
“He had no interest, but I think the people of Canada should start a DRAFT WAYNE GRETZKY Movement,” tweeted the president. “It would be so much fun to watch!”
A representative for Gretzky did not immediately respond to Business Insider’s request for comment.
Trump has stated that in his next presidential term, he will impose tariffs on imported Canadian goods, increasing American importers’ costs by 25%.
On Wednesday, Trump’s account posted nearly 40 times on Truth Social, most of which were articles from conservative media outlets that supported his policies.
He also named Kevin Marino Cabrera, a Republican official in Florida who worked on Trump’s 2020 campaign, as his nominee for ambassador to Panama. Over the last week, Trump has threatened to retake control of the Panama Canal.
The president-elect’s support for Gretzky, a dual US-Canadian citizen, comes as Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau may be on the verge of losing power.
Trudeau’s Liberal Party maintains power in the country’s parliament thanks to a coalition with the New Democratic Party.
The leader of the New Democratic Party, Jagmeet Singh, has stated that he will call for a “no confidence” vote in January, which would cost the Liberals their majority and force a new election. Canada is also set to hold a federal election in October 2025.
Gretzky and his family went to Mar-a-Lago shortly after Trump’s November election victory. In one Instagram photo posted by a Trump Organization executive, Gretzky is wearing a white-and-gold “Make America Great Again” cap.
Gretzky has previously supported members of Canada’s Conservative Party, which polls show is leading Trudeau’s Liberal Party.
