Canadian singer Rufus Wainwright changed the lyrics of “O Canada” to seemingly protest President Donald Trump’s remarks about making the country America’s 51st state.
Wainwright changed the lyrics of Canada’s national anthem — which begins “O Canada/ Our home and native land/ True patriot love in all of us command” — from “in all of us command,” to “that only us command” before Wednesday’s Game 5 of the World Series between the Toronto Blue Jays and Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium.
Wainwright’s reps did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
His lyric change comes just eight months after Canadian singer Chantal Kreviazuk did the same at the 4 Nations Face-Off championship hockey game in February.
Kreviazuk told The Associated Press at the time that she changed the lyrics “because I believe in democracy, and a sovereign nation should not have to be defending itself against tyranny and fascism.”
Trump first made comments about annexing Canada in December 2024. In March, he doubled down on his remarks, saying Canada “only works as a state.”
Then-Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was caught on a hot mic in February saying Trump’s proposal was “real.”
“They’re very aware of our resources, of what we have, and they very much want to be able to benefit from those,” Trudeau said.
He continued, “But Mr. Trump has it in mind that one of the easiest ways of doing that is absorbing our country. And it is a real thing.”