Donald Trump has threatened Canada once again. This time, however, his warning might spark laughter rather than fear. Canada recently discussed a trade deal with China, which has left the U.S. president furious.
Trump has already warned that tariffs would be imposed on Canada if the deal goes through. But tariffs might be the least of the neighboring nation’s concerns, as President Trump has warned that China would stop Canada from playing hockey if they finalize a deal.
As bizarre as it sounds, Trump actually believes that Canada would lose its national winter sport if it starts doing business with China. The president made the comment when a reporter asked him about the U.K. getting into business with China.
Reporter: What do you think about the UK getting into business with China?
Trump: Very dangerous and it’s more dangerous for Canada to do that. Canada is doing very poorly. The first thing they’re going to do is say you are not allowed to play ice hockey anymore. That’s not… pic.twitter.com/Apm4JApTr2
— Acyn (@Acyn) January 30, 2026
Instead of addressing the UK and China’s trade directly, Trump drifted from the subject and issued a warning to Canada. The 79-year-old said, “It’s very dangerous for them to do that, and it’s even more dangerous, I think, for Canada to get into business with China.”
Trump added, “They’re doing very poorly, and you can’t look at China as the answer. I know China very well, I know President Xi, he’s a friend of mine, I know him very well. The first thing they’re gonna do is say you’re not allowed to play ice hockey anymore. That’s not good. Canada’s not gonna like that.”
The POTUS’s remarks have sparked a memefest on social media. One person wrote on X, “So Trump says China is going to say ‘you’re not allowed to play ice hockey any more’ and they still don’t put this old demented fool in a nursing home?”
Another user joked, “They may take our ice hockey but they won’t take our poutine and maple syrup.”
Coming back to the Canada-China trade deal, longtime US allies have begun looking eastward after Trump’s repeated tariff threats. Canada, in particular, has been on Trump’s hit list ever since he took office for his second term.
On multiple occasions, the president has expressed his desire to annex Canada and make it a part of the US. Earlier this month, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney visited China, and the two countries decided to reduce bilateral tariffs on electric vehicles and canola products.
Don’t ever expect the last thing you heard from Trump to be the dumbest thing you’ll ever hear.
Because he’s going to open his mouth again.
— AJ Punk (@SilentSnow89) January 30, 2026
Trump initially supported the deal and told the media, “That’s what he should be doing. It’s a good thing for him to sign a trade deal. If you can get a deal with China, you should do that.”
However, the president soon took a U-turn and warned Canada of 100% tariffs if the deals with China were finalized. He wrote on Truth Social, “If Canada makes a deal with China, it will immediately be hit with a 100% Tariff against all Canadian goods and products coming into the U.S.A.”
After Carney, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer also visited China to improve trade relations. The trip proved fruitful, as China has granted 30 days of visa-free travel to Britons. Meanwhile, British pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca has also announced its plan to invest $15 billion in China.
