WWE commentator Pat McAfee called Canada a “terrible country” after Canadian fans booed the U.S. national anthem during the WWE Elimination Chamber event in Toronto at the Rogers Centre on Saturday.
During the live broadcast of the event, McAfee took offence to the not-so-polite Canadians and said, “These are the most stacked Elimination Chambers that the WWE has ever had. Kind of sucks that it’s in the terrible country of Canada that booed our national anthem to start this entire thing.”
McAfee addressed the backlash he has received for his comments about Canada during his Monday episode of The Pat McAfee Show, saying, “You booed my country. Now, I heard from a lot of Canadians. During the national anthem, obviously the Rogers Centre, overwhelming boo.”
“My entire life, my first reaction when somebody boos the national anthem is f— you,” he added. “I’m very proud that I’m from the United States of America. And is everything perfect? Absolutely not.”
“I know people who have been affected for fighting for our country that really see a national anthem as like our, ‘Hey, this is our s–t.’ So anytime I’ve ever heard somebody boo our national anthem my natural reaction is, ‘Let’s fight,’” he explained.
McAfee said that many Canadians told him to do an investigation into why they booed the U.S. national anthem.
“Listen, I understand there is political differences at the current moment between us and Canada, but I feel like anytime I think of Canada I don’t think of what Justin Trudeau does. I don’t think immediately of Justin Trudeau’s decisions,” he said.
“I think about loonies and toonies and good times and Mounties allowing teenagers [to] puke in their streets because maybe we’re a little bit overserved,” he continued. “That’s what I think of when I think of Canada. I don’t think of Justin Trudeau.”
McAfee said that he now understands that Canadians “have a lot more passion for their country than I could have ever imagined.”
“You said you didn’t boo every member of the United States or every citizen of the United States of America. Well I didn’t say Canadians are terrible. I said your country was. So you booed us, I said you’re terrible. Let’s shake hands. Let’s move along,” he added.
McAfee said that he still “loves Canadians” and apologized for upsetting Canadians all over the country.
He also shared the clip of him addressing the backlash on X, writing, “I’m very proud and thankful that I’m from Pittsburgh, Pa., in the United States of America. Canadians have a lot of passion for their country and I understand it.”
Global News has reached out to McAfee for comment and has not received a response as of this writing.
Toronto’s booing of the U.S. national anthem comes after Trump threatened to impose tariffs on Canada.
Sports fans in Calgary, Toronto, Vancouver and Ottawa have made headlines for booing loudly during the singing of the U.S. national anthem at NHL and NBA games since news of the tariffs began.
In February, Canadian fans in Montreal loudly booed the U.S. national anthem prior to the 4 Nations Face-Off game between the Americans and Canada.
It came after public address announcer Michel Lacroix asked the crowd, in French and English, “In the spirit of this great game that unites everyone that you kindly respect the anthems and the players that represent each country.”
But it’s not just the Canadians who’ve been protesting the U.S. national anthem. On Feb. 17, the Canadian national anthem was booed by the fans at the 4 Nations Face-Off, which seemed like apparent payback for the jeering of the U.S. national anthem during the opening rounds in Montreal the week prior.
— With files from Global News’ Michelle Butterfield and The Associated Press