U.S. President Donald Trump says he “love(s) the Canadian folks” however that the nation’s leaders “have taken benefit” of the U.S. for too lengthy in his newest rant concerning the nation.
Talking at a White Home occasion marking U.S. Hispanic Heritage Month on Wednesday, Trump stated that the U.S. was “so stupidly run” prior to now as a result of it “allowed” automakers to make vehicles for the U.S. in different international locations, together with Canada.
The president went on: “Canada has taken benefit of us for thus a few years. The worst of any nation.” However, he added, “I like the Canadian folks. So many pals,” highlighting former NHL participant Wayne Gretzky and “his unbelievable spouse,” Janet, specifically.
Trump: Canada has taken benefit of us for thus a few years. The worst of any nation. They have been very dangerous. Now, they’re being taught a bit of lesson. We simply named a sure lake: Lake America.
pic.twitter.com/3Hh5trKgmJ— Open Supply Intel (@Osint613) September 30, 2026
Gretzky and Trump have been noticed at occasions collectively on a number of events. He and his spouse attended an election evening occasion at Mar-a-Lago in November 2024, in addition to Trump’s inauguration on the U.S. Capitol constructing in January 2025.
Trump had beforehand instructed that Gretzky ought to “run for prime minister of Canada , quickly to be generally known as the governor of Canada,” in December 2024, however later described him as a “free agent” in a social media submit “as a result of I don’t need anybody in Canada to say something dangerous about him.”
The submit got here after Gretzky was booed on the 4 Nations hockey match in 2025, the place he was Crew Canada’s honorary captain.
In November that 12 months, Gretzky addressed the backlash in an episode of the 100% Hockey With Millard & Shannon podcast.
“Canadians are proud, however right here’s the 2 components,” he stated. “I don’t know the way many individuals transfer to the U.S., whether or not it’s enterprise or leisure or hockey, and I don’t know the precise quantity, however I’d inform you that over 90 per cent of them turn into Americans. I by no means turned an American citizen. I’m Canadian,” he continued.
When host John Shannon requested Gretzky if he understood that many Canadians need to hear from him in relation to the subject of politics, he replied: “Properly, positive, however as I stated to the prime minister, he wouldn’t inform me the right way to play hockey. I’m not going to inform him what to do in politics. Easy as that.”
A Glimpse of our speak with Wayne Gretzky…
100% Canadian…
Full Podcast tomorrow at: pic.twitter.com/0ijZEP7kly— John Shannon (@JShannonhl) November 11, 2025
Nonetheless, Trump made clear his “love” of Canadians doesn’t prolong to the nation’s lawmakers in his handle. He went on to say that Canadian leaders have taken benefit of the U.S.’s “silly management” for a few years.
“They act like they’re completely harmless. They’re not. They have been very dangerous, however now they’re being taught a bit of lesson,” he stated, referring to an government order he signed in August renaming Lake Ontario to “Lake America.”
Trump’s newest verbal assault on Canada comes amid an escalating commerce battle between the 2 international locations, by which a U.S. import ban on sure Canadian items, together with some alcohol and dairy merchandise, got here into impact on Tuesday.
In the meantime, Trump commerce adviser Peter Navarro stated on Tuesday that Canadian lobbyists ought to “get the hell out” of the U.S. and cease interfering within the upcoming midterm elections there.
Talking throughout a summit on American financial development, he requested: “Do you actually need to spend any time on Canada? As a result of Canada economically is a rowboat. We’re an plane service. How’s that going to finish?”
Prime Minister Mark Carney was requested concerning the feedback at a press convention in Vancouver on Tuesday, together with current feedback made by Trump predicting that Canada would apologize and roll again its counter-tariffs on U.S. items.
The PM broke into laughter even earlier than the query was full. Composing himself, he replied: “I pay attention to each feedback. How’s that? No response to both.”
Earlier than the following query was posed, he added: “I’ll simply say this on commerce. It continues to be the case that Canada stands prepared to barter in good religion (on) a mutually advantageous commerce association that respects each our international locations’ sovereignty.”
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