President-elect Donald Trump on Wednesday trolled Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau by promising to cut Canucks’ taxes if they agree to become “our 51st state,’’ while urging them to draft NHL great Wayne Gretzky to lead the country.
“I just left Wayne Gretzky, ‘The Great One’ as he is known in Ice Hockey circles,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.
“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,’” the president-elect said.
Trump — who thinks Canada has been ripping off the US over trade — has been taunting Trudeau for weeks by referring to Canada as a prospective US “state” and the prime minister as its “governor.”
Gretzky, who has never held political office, apparently has “no interest” in launching a campaign to replace the unpopular Trudeau as PM, according to Trump.
Undeterred, the 78-year-old president-elect Wednesday pushed Canadians to coax the hockey hall-of-famer and Brantford, Ontario, native into mounting a campaign.
“He had no interest, but I think the people of Canada should start a DRAFT WAYNE GRETZKY Movement,” Trump wrote.
“It would be so much fun to watch!” he added.
Trump wished Trudeau a “Merry Christmas” in another post while mockingly referring to the prime minister as “governor” again.
The president-elect argued that Canada should become a US state because the taxes of its citizens “are far too high, but if Canada was to become our 51st State, their Taxes would be cut by more than 60%.”
Trump asserted that Canadian businesses also “would immediately double in size, and they would be militarily protected like no other Country anywhere in the World” if the Great White North was to join the US.
Trudeau, 53, has served as prime minister of Canada since 2015.
The Liberal Party leader has faced mounting calls to resign, even from members of his own party, ahead of next year’s federal election.
Canadians appear fed up with high prices and a housing crisis that has emerged under Trudeau’s more than nine years in office.
The latest polls show Canada’s Conservative Party has a commanding lead over the Liberals in the election, which is expected to take place before October 2025.
Trudeau flew to Mar-a-Lago last month and dined with Trump amid the 45th president’s threat to impose a 25% tariff on Canadian imports – which Trudeau reportedly told the president-elect would “kill” Canada’s economy.
“So your country can’t survive unless it’s ripping off the US to the tune of $100 billion?” Trump reportedly replied, referencing the US trade deficit with Canada.
The president-elect then suggested Canada should join the US, becoming the 51st state, and gave Trudeau the nickname “Governor.”
Gretzky, 63, has previously endorsed the Conservative Party and former Conservative Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper.
He is a four-time Stanley Cup winner and holds or shares 61 National Hockey League records.
