Pat McAfee Defends Calling Canada ‘A Terrible Country’ At WWE Event In Toronto

Pat McAfee watches workouts at 2025 NFL Scouting Combine

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At this point in Pat McAfee’s broadcasting career, anything he says, even on his own show, that is related to professional wrestling should be taken with a grain of salt. That’s because, much like everyone else involved in pro wrestling, McAfee probably isn’t above using the real media to advance a fake wrestling story line.

That being said, when Pat McAfee went off on the “terrible country of Canada” for booing the United States’ national anthem on Saturday during the WWE Elimination Chamber event in Toronto, he may have actually been serious. The point is, once you get as enmeshed in pro wrestling as McAfee is, it’s very difficult to be 100 percent certain that anything he says is his real opinion.

Such is the case on Monday.

During his show on Monday, Pat McAfee addressed his negative remarks ripping the entire country of Canada.

“Now Canada,” McAfee said. “Listen. There’s been some things said to me from Canadians that I guess I respect, because of the passion that you have for your country, which I hope you understand that I was showing the same for mine.

“You booed my country. Now, I heard from a lot of Canadians. During the national anthem, obviously the Rogers Centre, overwhelming boo. I mean, very loud boo. First reaction whenever the national anthem starts up there was for some of these Canadians just to start booing and I’m, like, what? Okay. My entire life, my first reaction when somebody boos the national anthem is, f— you.

“I’m very thankful that I am from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania in these United States of America. I’m very proud that I am from the United States of America. And is everything perfect? Absolutely not. But my dad went from being a truck driver to a millionaire because he taught his son a work ethic and that anything is possible on this land here in the United States. Now, I know that we’re not the only country that has that happen, but in my life, that is the case.

“I’ve also moved out here to Indiana and got to meet a lot of military members. I’ve been to a lot of bases. I know Gold Star families. I know people that have been affected for fighting for our country that REALLY see the national anthem as, like, our, hey, this our s—. So any time I’ve ever heard somebody boo our national anthem, my natural reaction is, ‘let’s fight.’ That is my natural reaction.

“Now, a lot of Canadians have told me, ‘why don’t you do a little investigating on why we’re booing,” Pat McAfee continued. “Did you hear what your president said?’ Okay, listen, I understand there’s political differences at the current moment between us and Canada. But I feel like any time I think of Canada, I don’t think of what Justin Trudeau does. I don’t think immediately of Justin Trudeau’s decisions. I don’t think immediately of what Canada is doing in the political sphere. I think of the people of Canada.”

McAfee concluded his speech by saying, “I understand, now, from the Canadians, that they have a lot more passion for their country than I could have ever imagined. A lot of terrible things have been said about me, and I understand it. You boo my country, I called your country terrible, let’s shake hands.”

He also added that he “didn’t say that Canadians are terrible,” he said their country was. Not sure what the difference is, but McAfee seems to think there is one, but hey, as he reminded everyone at the end of his rant, he “still loves Canadians.”

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Douglas Charles is a Senior Editor for BroBible with two decades of expertise writing about sports, science, and pop culture with a particular focus on the weird news and events that capture the internet's attention. He is a graduate from the University of Iowa.