Former NFL star Pat McAfee expressed his displeasure at Canadian wrestling fans who booed the U.S. national anthem during a WWE event in Toronto. This act of protest by Canadian sports enthusiasts is seen as a response to President Donald Trump’s threat of imposing tariffs and his suggestion of making Canada the ’51st State’ of America.
The ‘Star-Spangled Banner’ has been met with jeers at recent sporting events, including the WWE Chamber at the Rogers Centre on Saturday. As Canadian singer Elizabeth Irving performed the national anthem, the crowd’s boos overshadowed her performance.
McAfee, who was providing commentary for Peacock, voiced his disapproval on the WWE broadcast, stating: “These are the most stacked Elimination Chambers that the WWE has ever had.
“Kinda sucks that it’s in the terrible country of Canada that booed our national anthem to start this entire thing. They booed the national anthem, they’re going to need to stop doing that, or the whole place is going to be sh—.”
The proposed 25 percent tariffs on Canadian imports by Trump have sparked a feud between American and Canadian sports fans, with the heckling starting at an Ottawa Senators NHL game last month and continuing at the recent 4 Nations showdown between the two countries.
Before the 4 Nations series, Trump stoked tensions by calling Canada’s Prime Minister Justin Trudeau ‘Governor’. However, it was Canada who had the final chuckle, with Trudeau quipping back at Trump: “You can’t take our country – and you can’t take our game.”
McAfee previously revealed that he passed up the chance to interview both Trump and Kamala Harris amidst the election hustle.
Elizabeth Irving was booed while performing the US National Anthem (
WWE Peacock)
Despite having free reign over his ESPN program, McAfee took a clear stance, telling Bill Belichick during a conversation on SiriusXM, “One day before an election, interviewing a president, you’re cut out for it, I’m not.
“We’ve had both political parties reach out about their candidates coming on. And I clearly said, ‘We’re not the ones that should be asking these things.'”
Meanwhile, in WWE’s Elimination Chamber event, Canadian talent shined with stars like Hall of Famer Trish Stratus making appearances, alongside a raw showdown between compatriots Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens in an unsanctioned match – friends in real life but adversaries in the ring.
Building off last year’s momentum when the show hit Perth, Australia, attracting 52,590 spectators to Optus Stadium, this year continued to amplify the excitement surrounding the spectacle.
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