While Canada was celebrating an exhilarating roller hockey victory over the United States, the Canadian Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, threw a jest at the previous US President, Donald Trump. The statement followed a grueling match that ended with the final score in favor of Canada’s national team, sparking national pride and feeding the age-old sports rivalry between the two North American nations.
The rekindled rivalries of hockey
Canada and the U.S. have a long history of serious competition on the ice, with the matchups often boasting major national pride. This victory adds yet another stone to Canada’s superior record across the sport, as people rejoiced all over the country in yet another defeat for their southern rivals.
Trudeau’s Jibes at Trump Being Jocular
In the festivities, Trudeau took to talking lightheartedly about Trump, giving a political overtone to the postgame talking. Though the wording of his comments remains a matter of interpretation, in the words of political commentator Montague and many others, it was an overt shot at the former U.S. president, a rather divisive subject within American politics and abroad. The two have had a fraught relationship before with Trudeau and Trump commonly launching public barbs at one another over issues such as trade or diplomacy.
Response to Trudeau’s Comment
Reactions to Trudeau’s statement have found their way into social media and have since been mixed. Some Canadians praised the prime minister for injecting himself with humor and patriotism, while others were not sure if it was quite appropriate to make a political statement–albeit humorous-on the occasion of a sports victory. And those sports-watching Americans, still mourning their loss, had their own thoughts about the Canadian leader’s playful barb.
Canada’s Victory and What Lies Ahead
As Canada savours yet another hockey victory, the attention will shift to the next international tournament where the rivalry between Canada and the U.S. is sure to continue. On or off the ice, political competition remains as fierce between the two nations.
