As Donald Trump’s tariff war and political rhetoric continue to threaten our country’s economy, some Canadian celebrities are speaking out. Whether it’s on social media, on podcasts, at live performances or on TV shows, here’s what some of our homegrown icons have said.
Neil Young
Musician Neil Young has been speaking out against Donald Trump for years. Now he worries he could be “barred or put in jail to sleep on a cement floor with an aluminum blanket” if he speaks out against the president during his tour later this year, which will begin in Europe, followed by the U.S.
“If I come back from Europe and am barred, can’t play my USA tour, all of the folks who bought tickets will not be able to come to a concert by me,” wrote Young on his website on April 1. “That’s right folks. If you say anything bad about Trump or his administration, you may be barred from re-entering USA if you are Canadian.”
Young is a U.S.-Canadian citizen and currently lives in Ontario.
In 2015, Young filed a lawsuit against Trump to prevent the then-presidential candidate from using his song “Rockin’ in the Free World” during a campaign launch. “Imagine what it feels like to hear Rockin’ in the Free World after this president speaks, like it is his theme song,” Young wrote at the time. “I did not write it for that.”
When Young became a U.S. citizen in 2020, during Trump’s first term, he wrote an open letter in which he called the president “a disgrace” and “the worst president in the history of our great country.”
Mike Myers
Comedian and actor Mike Myers showcased his Canadian pride on two Saturday Night Live episodes in March.
In the March 1 episode, he wore a “Canada is not for sale” T-shirt, referring to Trump’s statements about wanting to make Canada the 51st U.S. state, and made an “elbows up” motion while mouthing the words. (The phrase “elbows up” refers to using one’s elbows in hockey games as a defence mechanism.)
Myers, who is from Scarborough, appeared again on the March 8 show, playing tech billionaire Elon Musk and channelling Dr. Evil, a character he played in the Austin Powers movie franchise.
“Phase 1 of my plan is complete. Ingratiate yourself to the president and take over the media. But was taking this job a bad idea?” Myers-as-Musk mused in a monologue. “A lot of people seem to really hate me. Tesla’s stock is crashing and my personal net worth just dropped by 100 billion dollars.”
During the show’s end credits, Myers pointed to his elbow and mouthed the words “elbows up” once again, this time while wearing a Canadian Tire T-shirt.
Chantal Kreviazuk
Singer-songwriter Chantal Keviazuk changed the lyrics to O Canada at the 4 National Face-Off game against the United States on Feb 20 to protest Trump’s “51st state” rhetoric.
Instead of “in all of us command,” she intentionally sang, “that only us command.”
“Art to me is an expression of our truth,” wrote Kreviazuk in a Feb. 20 Facebook post. “And in this very peculiar and potentially consequential moment, I truly believe that we must stand up, use our voices and try to protect ourselves. No—-we should express our outrage in the face of any abuses of power.”
Simu Liu
“Barbie” and “Kim’s Convenience” actor Simu Liu spoke out against Trump in a TikTok video. He discussed the president’s proposed tax cuts, which he believes will benefit wealthy Americans. “I don’t need a tax cut. I’m happy to pay taxes. I believe I should pay taxes, and I actually believe that people like me should probably pay more tax,” he said in the video. “I’ve been very fortunate and very privileged, and I’m happy to pay my fair share.”
Liu lives in the U.S., owns property there and pays taxes there. “I’m just so confused because you have so much of the American population who voted for a president that so clearly does not act in their best interest,” he said. At the time of writing, the video has 3.8 million likes.
He added that he would donate any money he saves from the tax cuts.
Joni Mitchell
Singer-songwriter Joni Mitchell let her thoughts about then-presidential candidate Donald Trump be known at a concert in Los Angeles on Oct. 19. “Everybody get out and vote. This is an important one. I wish I could vote — I’m Canadian. I’m one of those lousy immigrants.”
When an audience member yelled an insult about Trump, Mitchell, who is 80, yelled “F—k Donald Trump!” in response.
She performed a political track called “Dog Eat Dog,” singing, “Holy hope in the hands of / Snakebite evangelists and racketeers / And big wig financiers,” and slipped in, “like Donald Trump.”
William Shatner
“Star Trek” actor William Shatner said he’s concerned that Trump’s presidency will have irreversible impacts on the climate.
“We’re seeing these storms hit now,” Shatner told host Bill Maher during the Nov. 17 episode of the “Club Random Podcast,” referring to the detrimental impacts of climate change. “Storms are now hitting every other year, every year. And it’s not like you can say, ‘Well, you know, it’s going to get better.’ It’s not.”
Shatner added that it’s easy to get rid of government agencies and reinstate them four years later, “but you can’t lose four years of global warming,” referring to irreversible damage.
