Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau took a shot at the US on Thursday night after his country’s hockey team defeated the Americans in the highly anticipated 4 Nations championship game.
“You can’t take our country — and you can’t take our game,” the outgoing prime minister declared in a terse statement posted to X after Team Canada beat their North American neighbors 3-2 in overtime.
Trudeau’s message was a not-so-veiled response to President Trump’s repeated threats to turn Canada into the 51st state.
But despite Trudeau’s public assertion in keeping Canada a sovereign state, he seems to be less confident behind closed doors.
While speaking to business and labor leaders earlier this month, the prime minister was caught on a hot mic acknowledging that Trump’s call to annex Canada was “a real thing.”
“I suggest that not only does the Trump administration know how many critical minerals we have, but that may be even why they keep talking about absorbing us and making us the 51st state,” Trudeau told those in attendance, according to The Daily Beast.
“They’re very aware of our resources, of what we have, and they very much want to be able to benefit from those. But Mr. Trump has it in mind that one of the easiest ways of doing that is absorbing our country. And it is a real thing,” he said.
Trump, who has referred to the Canadian leader as “Governor Trudeau,” called Team USA Thursday morning to fire them up before the championship game.
“You guys are really talented. I have great respect for hockey players, I’m a hockey fan. I love hockey. The talent, the skill that you have is crazy,” the president told the team, according to a clip of the call he posted to Truth Social.
“Just go out and have a good time tonight. I just want to wish you a lot of luck.”
Team USA GM Bill Guerin told The Athletic that Trump briefly mentioned turning Canada into the 51st state during the call with the American team.
