Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has delivered a pointed response to President Donald Trump’s taunts and economic threats, saying “you can’t take our country — and you can’t take our game” in the wake of Canada’s win over the US in an international hockey championship final. The message tapped into simmering anger across Canada since Mr. Trump took office.
Trudeau’s reaction came after weeks of threats from Trump to devastate the Canadian economy with tariffs and take it over as the 51st state. However, the outcome did not seem to faze Trump, who repeated his claims before the championship game and even offered words of support to the US team at the White House.
Despite this, Trump’s comments had a unifying effect on Canadians, forging a rare consensus among the public and political class despite the country’s divided politics. In fact, a recent survey found that 90% of Canadian respondents were opposed to being part of the United States.
The significance of Canada’s win was not lost on its team or coaches, with coach Jon Cooper stating that it was “a win for 40-plus million people.” As Trudeau showed, the hockey game has become a symbol of national pride and unity in the face of external threats.
Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/02/21/world/canada/trudeau-trump-hockey-canada-us-feud.html