Michael Bublé takes swipe at Trump at Canadian music awards: ‘We are not for sale'
Michael Bublé has hit out at Donald Trump 's calls for Canada to be annexed as America's 51st state.
While hosting the 2025 Juno Awards on Sunday — Canada's version of the Grammys — the Canadian singer responded to the president's threats in an emotional speech.
'I'm a hometown kid who never left. And as I stand here and I look out at my fellow artists in a sold-out arena with millions watching at home, I'm proud to be Canadian,' Bublé, 49, told the audience. 'I'm proud that when they go low, we go high.'
Appearing to choke up, he continued: 'Bottom line, we love this country. We love it, and when you love something, you show up for it. And we always will. We will because we're formidable, because we're fearless, because we don't just acknowledge our differences — we embrace them. Because they don't just make us stronger; they make us a hell of a lot more interesting.
'We're the North, the Pacific, we're the Atlantic, we're the Great Lakes, we're the Rocky Mountains, and we are the wide open spaces. Folks, we are one of a kind. We are beautiful. We are the greatest nation on earth!' he said before declaring, 'And we are not for sale!'
The 'Haven't Met You Yet' singer's comments come amid fears of an impending trade war sparked by Trump's sweeping plans to heavily tariff Canada and other countries he feels have treated 'the U.S. unfairly.'
In early March, the president threatened to impose 50 percent tariffs on Canadian steel and aluminum imports. However, soon after, he backtracked and halted the plan.
Trump has since suggested that Canada's 'tariff problem' would vanish if it agreed to become part of the U.S., leaving Canadian politicians and citizens furious.
At a mid-March Downing Street press conference, Canada's new prime minister, Mark Carney, issued a warning to Trump, telling the president that his threats to annex Canada as the 51st state must stop if the two countries are to broach trade talks.
were an impediment to fresh talks on a U.S.-Canada trade partnership.
Still, Trump has remained steadfast in his mission to impose tariffs on Canada, recently imposing a 25 percent tax on all Canadian goods. In retaliation, Canada has issued C$60 billion ($42 billion) of tariffs on U.S. products.
'We are facing the most significant crisis of our lifetimes because of President Trump's unjustified trade actions and his threats to our sovereignty,' Carney said on Sunday, March 23, announcing his decision.
'There is so much more to do to secure Canada. To invest in Canada, to build Canada, to unite Canada. That's why I'm asking for a strong positive mandate from my fellow Canadians.'
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EXCLUSIVE Inside story of Donald Trump and Jeffrey Epstein's friendship after Elon Musk suggested the President appeared in FBI files. So what's the truth about claims of topless girls?
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And any possibility of a truce, Washington and Silicon Valley insiders predicted yesterday, has disappeared after Musk effectively pressed the nuclear button. Although he didn't precisely spell out the accusation, Musk was clearly implying that the US government was concealing the truth about Trump's dealings with the notorious late financier and paedophile. It is no secret that Trump associated with Epstein, even if he has been reluctant to admit it. They moved in the same moneyed social circles in Palm Beach, Florida, from the late 1980s until 2004, when they fell out spectacularly over a property deal. Along with the likes of Prince Andrew and Bill Clinton, Trump is one among many powerful people known to have associated with Epstein and who have been mentioned in court documents related to the financier's decades of sexual abuse. 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Musk retweeted several examples, adding a raised-eyebrow emoji. They included a 1992 TV news report on a party at Mar-a-Lago, Trump's Palm Beach resort and home, in which Epstein and the future President can be seen talking animatedly with each other as they stand watching a crowd of dancing cheerleaders for the Buffalo Bills and Miami Dolphins, two American football teams. They point to some of the women and Trump, gesturing to one, appears to say: 'Look at her back there, she's hot'. He then whispers in the financier's ear, leading Epstein to double over in laughter. Musk also retweeted a passage from a 2002 magazine article about Epstein in which Trump said: 'I've known Jeff for 15 years. Terrific guy. He's a lot of fun to be with. 'It is even said he likes beautiful women as much as I do, and many of them are on the younger side. No doubt about it – Jeffrey enjoys his social life.' 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