It took Prime Minister Justin Trudeau of Canada simply minutes to faucet out his response to his nation’s victory over the United States in a world hockey championship ultimate on Thursday in Boston.
“You may’t have our nation — and you may’t take our sport,” Mr. Trudeau wrote on X.
Forward of the match, the stakes had been excessive for Canada, the birthplace of hockey. For weeks, President Trump has threatened to devastate the Canadian financial system with tariffs and mockingly belittled the nation by suggesting it change into the US’ 51st state.
Mr. Trudeau’s swift riposte after the sport tapped into an anger that has simmered throughout Canada since Mr. Trump took workplace on Jan. 20. His message was echoed from throughout the political aisle. “The true North, sturdy, free and golden,” Pierre Poilievre, Canada’s opposition chief, wrote on X.
The political tensions had been spilling over into sports activities arenas for weeks; the U.S. nationwide anthem was loudly booed at N.B.A. and N.H.L. video games in Canada.
That didn’t deter Mr. Trump from repeating his taunt earlier than the championship sport.
“I feel they must change into the 51st state,” he stated throughout a speech on Thursday in Washington. “And also you heard the individuals booing the nationwide anthem, however I feel finally they’ll be praising the nationwide anthem.”
Mr. Trump went on to discuss with Mr. Trudeau as “governor,” which he has finished typically in current weeks.
Mr. Trump additionally referred to as the U.S. group to specific his help. On the White Home, his press secretary, Karoline Leavitt, stated he was wanting ahead to watching the sport. “And we sit up for the US beating our soon-to-be 51st state, Canada,” she stated.
Later, there have been some boos on the Boston enviornment as Chantal Kreviazuk, a Canadian musician, sang “O Canada.”
There was a twist in her rendition too. She modified the phrases “in all of us command” to “that solely us command.” Ms. Kreviazuk stated on Instagram that the change was in response to the discuss of annexation.
Mr. Trump’s repeated digs have had a unifying impact in Canada, forging a uncommon consensus among the many public and the political class regardless of the nation going by way of one among its most divided political intervals in current historical past.
A survey revealed final month by the Angus Reid Institute, a analysis heart, discovered that 90 p.c of Canadian respondents had been against being part of the US.
Early Friday, Mr. Trump had but to answer Mr. Trudeau’s message.
