Canada PM Mark Carney and Mike Myers praised for ‘legendary’ swipe at Trump in new campaign ad

Mark Carney (you’ll probably know him as the former governor of the Bank of England) has only been prime minister of Canada for a matter of days, but the Liberal Party leader has made it pretty clear what he makes of US president Donald Trump’s comments about his country becoming America’s “51st state”.

After winning the election to succeed Justin Trudeau earlier this month, Carney said his party is “united and strong and ready to fight” to build an “even better” Canada.

Referencing Trump’s remarks, he added: “We have made this the greatest country in the world and now our neighbours want to take us. No way.

“Think about it. If [America] succeeded, they would destroy our way of life … America is a melting pot. Canada is a mosaic.

“America is not Canada. Canada will never ever be part of America in any way, shape or form.”

Now, Carney has once again taken aim at Trump in a new campaign video shared on Saturday, featuring Austin Powers and Shrek star Mike Myers.

As the PM cheers on an ice hockey team from the sidelines, Myers – who lives in the US - approaches him for a conversation, saying he “thought I’d come up and check on things”.

Carney proceeds to point out that the Canadian, currently seen parodying Tesla owner and Doge boss Elon Musk on Saturday Night Live, resides in America, to which Myers replies that he will “always be Canadian”.

The politician then quizzes the comedian on a range of Canadian trivia, including the children’s TV show Mr Dressup, Stompin’ Tom Connors’ track “Bud the Spud”, and the capital of Canadian province Saskatchewan (it’s Regina).

Carney asks: “What are the two seasons in Toronto?”

“Winter and construction,” replies Myers.

Impressed, the PM says: “Wow. You really are Canadian.”

Myers then asked a question of Carney, about whether “there will always be a Canada”, to which he replies: “There will always be a Canada.”

The pair then bond over the phrase “elbows up”, a defensive term originating from ice hockey which has recently been used by Canadians to clap back at Trump’s comments.

As if that wasn’t overt enough, one of the final shots of the video reveals the back of Myers’ shirt, which reads “never 51” – which many have taken to be a pointed reference to the US president’s remarks.

One Twitter/X user commented that it was a “legendary touch”:

Another wrote the ad was “right on the target” and “gets a lot of little things right”:

And a third said it was a “mainstream masterclass” and “perfection”:

The US and Canada continue to be involved in a bitter trade war over tariffs, with Trump ordering a 25 per cent tax on Canadian aluminium and steel imports earlier this month, and Canada retaliating with tariffs of its own, to the tune of $29.8 billion in Canadian dollars ($20.7 billion in US dollars).

Carney is also expected to call the next Canadian election for 28 April.

Why not read…

• Who is Mark Carney, the man replacing Justin Trudeau as prime minister of Canada?
• The US is officially more unhappy than ever – but is Trump to blame?

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