“You wouldn't even have to campaign”: Donald Trump once urged Wayne Gretzky to run for the Prime Minister of Canada

In an instant that was at once political, sporting, and a touch of cross-border humor, the U.S. former president Donald Trump once proposed that ice hockey legend Wayne Gretzky stand for election as prime minister of Canada.

Donald Trump wanted Wayne Gretzky to run for Prime Minister

During a Christmas Day visit in 2024, Donald Trump met with Wayne Gretzky and later took to his Truth Social platform to share the conversation. He recalled telling Gretzky, "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." However, Gretzky reportedly had no interest in entering the political arena.

Donald Trump's casual suggestion that Canada should become a U.S. state was just one of several times he flirted with the notion of annexing the nation—something Ottawa pooh-poohed as a joke but which raised questions about U.S.-Canada relations. Though his words were in jest, Canadian policymakers had more serious worries: the very real prospect of a second Trump term and the economic fallout of possible tariffs.


Although Gretzky remained out of politics, he has in the past indicated support for Conservative politicians in Canada. He publicly endorsed former Ontario Progressive Conservative leader Patrick Brown and, in the 2015 federal election, attended a campaign rally with then-Conservative leader Stephen Harper.

At the time, Gretzky praised Harper, telling the crowd, "I think he's been an unreal prime minister. He’s been wonderful to the whole country." The endorsement didn’t help the Conservatives secure re-election, but it showcased Gretzky’s willingness to lend his voice to Canadian political discussions.

Although he has had an intermittent role, Gretzky has otherwise stayed out of politics, hosting functions for politicians from both sides of the aisle. He once hosted a luncheon for former Liberal Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau, showing his bipartisan leanings.

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Trump's claim that Gretzky might sweep an election "without even campaigning" was, naturally, hyperbolic. But the notion of a popular national sports icon entering politics is always a compelling thought experiment.

Although Gretzky himself will likely never seek office, his place in history is unaffected—on the ice and among the Canadian public.

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