Wayne Gretzky rubs shoulders with American politicians at Trump inauguration
Wayne Gretzky was in attendance for US President Donald Trump’s inauguration in Washington, DC, earlier today.
The Great One was spotted rubbing shoulders with various American politicians alongside his wife, Janet, at the United States Capitol building. Janet took to her Instagram to post a photo of her and Wayne at the inauguration.
“We are so very proud,” she wrote in the caption. “We love America, we love Canada, God bless everyone!!”
View this post on Instagram
Gretzky wasn’t pictured rubbing shoulders with Trump himself, but he did mingle with other American politicians, including Tom Emmer, the Majority Whip of the US House of Representatives.
While Gretzky and his family have not publicly endorsed Trump, they were quite supportive of the 78-year-old politician’s run for re-election in the latest election cycle.
He was spotted at the president’s victory party at Mar-A-Lago shortly after the election and has been mentioned by Trump on numerous occasions.
Saul Loeb-Pool/Imagn Images
Trump even name-dropped Gretzky in a strange social media post last month, calling on Canada to become the 51st US state and saying that the NHL legend should consider running for prime minister in the upcoming Canadian federal election.
It was a statement that rubbed some Canadian politicians the wrong way, with Timmins NDP MP Charlie Angus having some harsh words for The Great One.
At first glance, it may seem strange to see a Canadian icon be so involved in American politics, but many may forget that Gretzky is a citizen of both Canada and the United States.
This also wouldn’t be the first time Gretzky has shown a political preference. Back in 2003, he praised then-Republican President George W. Bush. Gretzky was also a supporter of Conservative Prime Minister Stephen Harper during the 2015 Canadian federal election.
Gretzky was far from the only athlete to attend Trump’s inauguration. Fellow hockey player Evander Kane was also in attendance at the event, as was legendary boxer Mike Tyson and ex-NFLer Antonio Brown.