Wake up, Canada: Wayne Gretzky is MAGA
How many friendly golf games will it take for us to accept the obvious?
Last week, Brantford’s own Wayne Gretzky hit the links with his friend and golf buddy Donald Trump. The pair were joined by Fox News host Bret Baier at the president’s Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach, Florida. Trump posted a group photo to his Truth Social account, and Canadians are reeling—even though, by now, we really shouldn’t be.
Related: Prime Minister Mark Carney on texting with Trump
The Great One, who lives in Palm Beach, has made no secret of his friendship with the man currently engaged in economic warfare with his home country, attending his election victory celebration in 2024 and inauguration in January. Now, Trump is threatening additional tariffs like he’s Oprah handing out free cars, and number 99 is all, Hey, Don, you’ve really been working on that swing.
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It’s true that Gretzky has attempted to address the tension, saying he’s a proud Canadian and simply not that political. Depending on your stance, that is either a totally reasonable explanation (Can’t four dudes just enjoy an afternoon of sport without bringing politics into it?) or an absurd obfuscation (Golfing with President Trump is obviously political—no amount of concussions could excuse this betrayal). These are matters of opinion, and just like Gretzky has the right to bro down with whomever he wants, Canadians have the right to make their own assessments.
Related: Fox News host John Roberts on Trump, the trade war and the American psyche
Less up for debate are Gretzky’s far-right leanings when he does get political. Come on, people: the dude wore a “Make America Great Again” hat to celebrate Trump’s win at a private party at Mar-a-Lago. So did his son! In January, as tensions between Canada and the US mounted, Trump joked that Gretzky would make a great governor to the 51st state, rhetoric that Gretzky has never explicitly condemned. But come on, guys, he’s just a globally influential, obscenely wealthy hockey player.
Now he’s enjoying a friendly game of golf—as his beloved Brantford takes a proverbial puck to the groin in the tariff wars. He’s smiling for the camera, literally rubbing shoulders. At a certain point, you just have to say, My childhood hero is a MAGA bro and move on as best you can.
Courtney Shea is a freelance journalist in Toronto. She started her career as an intern at Toronto Life and continues to contribute frequently to the publication, including her 2022 National Magazine Award–winning feature, “The Death Cheaters,” her regular Q&As and her recent investigation into whether Taylor Swift hung out at a Toronto dive bar (she did not). Courtney was a producer and writer on the 2022 documentary The Talented Mr. Rosenberg, based on her 2014 Toronto Life magazine feature “The Yorkville Swindler.”
