Sport
Trump defends Gretzky, says ‘the Nice One’ needs Canada to stay Canadian
U.S. President Donald Trump is suggesting his friend Wayne Gretzky isn’t too excited by Canada turning into The us’s 51st state, however says the 2 will stay nice pals regardless of no longer seeing eye to eye at the subject.
In a publish on Fact Social, the social media platform owned through Trump, the president mentioned he’s excited by Canadians turning on “the Nice One” over their friendship — a reaction to ultimate week’s backlash over Gretzky’s perceived slights to Canada on the 4 Countries Face-Off hockey ultimate.
“Wayne is my good friend, and he needs to make me satisfied, and is due to this fact relatively ‘low key’ about Canada final a separate Nation, reasonably than turning into a liked and wonderful 51st State, paying a lot Decrease Taxes, a Loose and Robust Army, NO TARIFFS, and having a Booming Financial system,” Trump posted.
Trump wrote he would backtrack on his ideas that Gretzky turn into Canada’s “governor” — an concept he’s floated a number of occasions in contemporary months, each earlier than and after Justin Trudeau introduced his plan to renounce as top minister.
“Wayne and Janet, his superb spouse, love Canada, they usually must most effective beef up Canada, and no matter else makes the Canadian Other people, and Governor Justin Trudeau, satisfied. He’s the Biggest Canadian of all of them, and I’m due to this fact making him a ‘unfastened agent,’ as a result of I don’t need any person in Canada to mention anything else unhealthy about him.”
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Gretzky courted controversy ultimate week when he used to be named Staff Canada’s honorary captain on the 4 Countries Face-Off ultimate between Canada and the U.S.
The previous Edmonton Oiler, and arguably the best hockey participant of all time, stepped onto the ice for the pregame rite at TD Lawn subsequent to the U.S. bench and as he walked previous used to be noticed giving a thumbs as much as the American avid gamers. Against this, audience at house spotted he didn’t do a lot to recognize the Canadian group in entrance of the cameras.
Enthusiasts additionally spotted that, in contrast to his honorary U.S. captain counterpart Mike Eruizone, who scored the well-known game-winning purpose towards the Soviets within the 1980 Olympics and wore a U.S. jersey to Thursday evening’s festivities, Gretzky didn’t put on a Canada jersey forward of the matchup, sticking with a blue swimsuit, vest and tie as an alternative.
He has been criticized in Canada for supporting Trump, together with attending his election evening birthday party and inauguration. Gretzky, 64, has no longer publicly mentioned Trump’s annexation communicate or Canada’s sovereignty.
Trump has been taking jabs at Canadian lawmakers about making the rustic the “51st state” and the 78-year-old printed that he had requested Gretzky to turn into the “governor of Canada” following a Christmas Day discuss with past due ultimate 12 months.
“I simply left Wayne Gretzky, ‘The Nice One’ as he’s recognized in ice-hockey circles,” Trump posted on Fact Social on Dec. 25.
“I mentioned, ‘Wayne, why don’t you run for high minister of Canada, quickly to be referred to as the governor of Canada — you could win simply, you wouldn’t even must marketing campaign.’ He had no pastime.”
Trump reiterated the feedback two weeks later, telling journalists at Mar-a-Lago he had a plan for Trudeau’s successor.
“I used to be with Wayne Gretzky. I mentioned, ‘Wayne, do you want to be the governor of Canada?’ I will’t believe any one doing higher than Wayne,” Trump mentioned on the time.
In Edmonton, the place Gretzky turned into a legend, some enthusiasts are petitioning to switch the identify of Wayne Gretzky Pressure. The road used to be renamed in 1999 to honour his 4 Stanley Cups with the Oilers.
As of Thursday, the petition had accumulated greater than 10,000 signatures.
— With recordsdata from The Canadian Press
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