U2 frontman Bono had some kind words to say about Canada during a TV appearance on Global News on Monday.
“I was always a fan of your mosaic, your culture, your … kind of reason, and never more so than now,” the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame singer said on “The Morning Show.”
He then shared some thoughts about the recent Canadian federal election, in which Prime Minister Mark Carney‘s Liberals defeated the Pierre Poilievre’s Conservatives.
“The whole world is in awe of what you’ve done, and thank you for getting together, putting all your politics aside, and not electing a populist,” Bono said. “Competence turns out to be the rarest thing on the planet these days. A numerate, thoughtful leadership. So thank you.”
Then, host Jeff McArthur mentioned Bono’s 2016 appearance at a Global Fund conference in Montreal, where the singer praised Canada’s support for global health initiatives, saying “the world needs more Canada.”
“51 reasons to love Canada,” Bono quipped in response, a reference to U.S. President Donald Trump’s threats to make Canada the “51st state.”
Bono’s appearance on Canadian television took place on the eve of another event that flung the country into the global spotlight. King Charles III arrived in Ottawa to deliver a throne speech in which he celebrated Canada’s “distinct identity.”
Bono, 65, is currently promoting a new documentary titled “Bono: Stories of Surrender.” Directed by Andrew Dominik, the documentary explores themes of family, friends and faith, and features unseen footage from Bono’s 2023 one-man stage show at the Beacon Theatre in New York City.
The Irish singer-songwriter and activist has never shied away from making political statements, in both his music and in interviews. Over the years, he has been involved in campaigns to fight poverty and HIV/AIDS in Africa. In January, he was recognized for these efforts with a Presidential Medal of Freedom awarded by former U.S. President Joe Biden.
Last week, Bono and his U2 bandmates attended the Ivor Novello awards in London, where they received the Fellowship of the Ivors Academy, the institution’s highest honour. Upon accepting the award, Bono spoke about the war in Gaza, saying: “Hamas, release the hostages, stop the war. Israel, be released from Benjamin Netanyahu and the far-right fundamentalists that twist your sacred texts.”
U2 guitarist and songwriter the Edge has also spoken out against right-wing politics in the U.S. In an interview with the Star following Trump’s election last November, he said: “I think people will be railing against where we find ourselves, but we’ll get through it,” he said. “We got through the days of some very conservative governments in the U.K., we got through the inordinate influence of Catholicism in Ireland and we will get through this.”
