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 closing on Thursday in Boston.
“You possibly can’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 develop into america’ 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, robust, 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 should develop into the 51st state,” he mentioned throughout a speech on Thursday in Washington. “And also you heard the individuals booing the nationwide anthem, however I feel in the end they’ll be praising the nationwide anthem.”
Mr. Trump went on to confer with Mr. Trudeau as “governor,” which he has performed usually in current weeks.
Mr. Trump additionally referred to as the U.S. workforce to specific his assist. On the White Home, his press secretary, Karoline Leavitt, mentioned he was wanting ahead to watching the sport. “And we stay up for america beating our soon-to-be 51st state, Canada,” she said.
Later, there have been some boos on the Boston area 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 said on Instagram that the change was in response to the speak of annexation.
Mr. Trump’s repeated digs have had a unifying effect 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 published last month by the Angus Reid Institute, a analysis middle, discovered that 90 p.c of Canadian respondents had been against being part of america.
Early Friday, Mr. Trump had but to answer Mr. Trudeau’s message.
