Wayne Gretzky accused of betrayal and disloyalty in trade war declared by Donald Trump
Gretzky has become the subject of a once-unimaginable debate over his loyalty to Canada due to his ties to the American President. Full story below:
The hockey and political worlds have collided together for the past months, especially when Canada and USA faced off against each other for the 4 Nations Final, especially amid the tariffs war between Canada and the United States. Wayne Gretzky has been dealing with significant backlash due to his ties to President Donald Trump, who has threatened to annex Canada and eliminate their existence as an independence country. Fans across Canada are questioning his loyalty to his native Canada, which prompted the Associated Press to visit his hometown of Brampton, Ontario and asked about the Great One.
“Wayne’s changed a lot since he went down to the States,” said his former neighbour John Davidson, who still has to chase away the occasional curiosity seeker.
As AP reports, a lot has happened that has Canadians, especially fans of Gretzky, questioning his loyalty and seeing his recent actions as betrayal:
“Pictures of Gretzky celebrating Trump’s election night victory at Mar-a-Lago and attending his inauguration don’t sit well at a time Canadians face an existential crisis in the wake of rising tariffs and the president’s comments about turning its northern neighbour into a 51st state. Many find it unsettling that Gretzky is silent on the topic, even with Trump suggesting Gretzky run for office for the eventuality of becoming the nation’s governor once it joins the U.S.”
Two weeks ago, the famed statue of Wayne Gretzky outside Rogers Center in Edmonton was vandalized in the most brutal way, getting smeared with feces all over the face of the legendary player.
Clearly, the anger in Canada has turned toward their once-untouchable hockey hero, who has been called “Traitor,” “MAGA junkie,” and “sell-out” on social media. His wife Janet Jones Gretzky recently revealed that her husband is heartbroken by the recent backlash he has received, writing on Instagram that “it has broken (Wayne’s) heart to read and see the mean comments.”
However, even in Brampton, there is a desire to distance themselves from Wayne Gretzky. Per the AP:
“A sense of national pride led to Kat Philp launching a petition to rename Brantford’s Wayne Gretzky Parkway after Walter, who held the honorary title of Brantford’s Lord Mayor for his extensive community work.
“The issue is not whose Wayne Gretzky’s friends are — “You do you,” Philp said. Instead, she feels betrayed by his failure to voice support for Canada.”
Many fans and countrymen see Gretzky as a voice of Canada, and unfortunately as of now, it has stayed quiet. That’s why people are accusing him of betraying his native country and being disloyal to his roots.
What do you make of this?
