By Canadian Press

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

Dec 25, 2024 | 4:04 PM

OTTAWA — 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.

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

Dylan Robertson, The Canadian Press