‘He wants to make me happy’: Trump’s ‘weird disclaimer’ on Gretzky prompts online ridicule

President Donald Trump’s glowing defense of Wayne Gretzky – who he referred to Wednesday as “the Greatest Canadian” – largely fell flat with political observers in the United States – and in the hockey legend’s native country.

But it did elicit plenty of snarky responses across social media.

Gretzky has been dogged by criticism over his support for Trump after he was seen at an election night victory celebration in Florida and the president’s inauguration last month. Trump has also floated the idea that Gretzky should become the next “governor” of Canada as he taunted Justin Trudeau as the “governor” of the “51st state.”

And Trump’s Wednesday post on his Truth Social platform was no exception.

“Wayne Gretzky is a fantastic guy! They call him, ‘The Great One,’ and he is,” Trump wrote. “He could run for any political office in Canada, and win. Wayne is my friend, and he wants to make me happy, and is therefore somewhat ‘low key’ about Canada remaining a separate Country, rather than becoming a cherished and beautiful 51st State, paying much Lower Taxes, a Free and Powerful Military, NO TARIFFS, and having a Booming Economy.”

He added that Gretzky and his “wonderful wife love Canada, and they should only support Canada, and whatever else makes the Canadian People, and Governor Justin Trudeau, happy."

"I am therefore making him a ‘free agent,’ because I don’t want anyone in Canada to say anything bad about him,” said Trump.

Trump continued to throw veiled jabs at Canada calling it “not nearly as good as it could be,” while making clear that Gretzky “supports Canada the way it is, as he should.”

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But not all were ready to embrace Gretzky.

“The Man Without A Country, Wayne Gretzky, has clearly pleaded with Dictator Trump to take some of the heat off him among Canadians who are justifiably pissed at Gretzky's recent disloyalty,” former MSNBC host Keith Olbermann wrote on Bluesky.

“Wayne Gretzky has f------ ruined his reputation as the great one and Canadians don’t want him anymore,” Canadian Kate Tigs told her X followers.

“Trump on Wayne Gretzky and Canada is a work of art,” OutKick founder Clay Travis wrote in his own X post.

It left former Canadian radio personality Dean Blundell with three theories on what drove Trump to write the post.

“A) Gretzky begged Trump for this WEIRD disclaimer. B) Gretzky demanded this WEIRD disclaimer. C) This is + the 3rd tariff head fake today + he realizes we f----- hate him,” he wrote.

The account Republicans Against Trumpism simply wondered aloud to its Bluesky followers: “How the hell did 77 million Americans vote for this moronic clown? I’ll never understand it.”