President-elect Trump has been making succession plans after Justin Trudeau announced plans to step down as Canada's prime minister.
After Trudeau's decision, President Trump continues to push for the country's northern neighbor to become the nation's 51st state.
Trudeau said a “snowball's chance from hell” would never happen, but if it did, President Trump has hired Wayne Gretzky to be “governor.”
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Donald Trump shakes hands with former NHL star Wayne Gretzky before leaving Barclays at Plainfield Country Club in Edison, New Jersey (Rich Graessle/Icon Sportswire/Corbis/Icon Sportswire, Getty Images)
“I was with Wayne Gretzky, and I said, 'Wayne, would you like to be governor of Canada?' I can't imagine anyone who could have done better than Mr. Wayne,” Trump said Thursday. Speaking at Mar-a-Lago.
“Mr. Wayne wasn't really interested, but he probably wanted statehood,” Trump said. “He's my friend. He's a great guy. He's a great guy. We call him a great guy, right? He's a great hockey player.”
Gretzky attended Trump's 2024 election victory party after Trump defeated Vice President Kamala Harris.
Wayne Gretzky reacts on the second hole during the third round of the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am at Pebble Beach Golf Links on February 8, 2020 in Pebble Beach, California. (Michael Madrid/USA Today Sports)
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Gretzky's son-in-law, Dustin Johnson, is on the LIV Golf Tour, which has held tournaments at Trump's golf courses.
President Trump said at a press conference in Palm Beach on Tuesday that Canada should be a nation. On Monday, the president-elect said in a social media post that “many people in Canada love being our 51st province.”
“What a great country we will be when we all work together!!!” President Trump exclaimed in a social media post.
Prime Minister Trudeau announced his intention to resign as party leader and prime minister under increasing pressure from within his Liberal Party following growing criticism of his handling of the economy and threats made by President Trump. He said he would resign once the party elects a new leader.
Wayne Gretzky (right) of the Edmonton Oilers shakes hands with Greg Gilbert (17) of the New York Islanders after the Islanders defeated the Oilers in Game 4 of the 1983 Stanley Cup Finals, May 17, 1983, New York. at the Nassau Coliseum in Uniondale, State. (Bruce Bennett Studio, via Getty Images Studios/Getty Images)
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Prime Minister Trudeau, who has led the country for nearly a decade, has suffered a sharp drop in approval ratings for months, citing growing dissatisfaction over issues such as the rising cost of living and rising inflation.
Fox News Digital's Paul Steinhauser, Caitlin McFall and Danielle Wallace contributed to this report.
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