Neil Young slams Trump in Mark Carney endorsement
'The U.S. president could use a soul'
Article content
Canadian-born music legend Neil Young is wading into the upcoming federal election, throwing his support behind Liberal Leader Mark Carney.
In a message posted to his website, Young, who resides in the United States, said he wanted to tell the newly-minted prime minister, “How much I appreciate and support what you are trying to do for our great country, Canada.”
tap here to see other videos from our team.
Neil Young slams Trump in Mark Carney endorsement Back to video
tap here to see other videos from our team.
“Although I have lived in the United States for most of my life, and recently became a citizen of the USA, I am a Canadian and always will be,” Young wrote.
Donald Trump has been continually questioning Canada’s sovereignty since being re-elected president last November, referring to former prime minister Justin Trudeau as “governor” and saying the country is a “serious contender” to become America’s 51st state.
“We don’t need anything from Canada,” Trump told reporters in Washington last month. “It costs us $200 billion a year in subsidies to keep Canada afloat. So, when I say they should be a state, I mean that because we can’t be expected to carry a country that’s right next to us on our border. It would be a great state; it would be a cherished state. The taxes for Canadian citizens would go down (to) less than half. They don’t spend money on military because they think we’re going to protect them.”
Trump referred to Canada as “tough” on trade, but said the country isn’t operating from a position of strength. “You know the expression I use, ‘Some people don’t have the cards,'” he quipped.
Despite softening his tone since Trudeau stepped down and Carney took over last month, on Tuesday, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Trump still wants to see Canada become part of the U.S.
“I would reject the president’s position on Canada has shifted,” she told reporters, according to the Wall Street Journal. “The president still maintains his position on Canada: the United States has been subsidizing Canada’s national defence, and he believes that Canadians would benefit greatly from becoming the 51st state of the United States of America.”
Watching Trump’s rhetoric continue unabatedly has left Young worried about the future of his home country.
“Canada is facing threats to its very existence, incredibly from people we thought were our friends,” Young wrote. “They want our resources, they want our land, they want our fisheries, they want our water, they want our Arctic, maybe they want our souls. I know the U.S. president could use a soul.”
Before naming his pick as Carney for Canada’s next prime minister, Young said that it will take “more than bravado to fight this kind of threat,” saying that the country’s next leader will have to have “brains, deep economic knowledge of how the world works (and) strong, intelligent strategies.”
“Mr. Carney, I believe you are the person to do it. I believe you are the person our country needs to lead us through this crazy situation and bring us out the other side as a stronger, smarter, more resilient Canada, our core values of caring and fairness and generosity intact, along with our souls,” the two-time Grammy winner wrote.
Young ended his message of support by saying Carney has “the chops to get it done,” urging Canadians to vote Liberal when they head to the polls April 28.
“Man, you have got the guts to take it on. It’s a heavy lift for sure, Mr. Carney. But I, for one, am with you all the way.”
On X, Carney thanked the two-time Rock and Roll Hall of Famer, writing, “Thank you, Neil, for your support. Keep on Rockin’ in the Free World.”
Young has frequently sparred with Trump, posting a message on his website earlier this month in which he worried that the president might stop him from being allowed to re-enter America when he returns from his upcoming European tour.
Other recent posts on his website accuse Trump and Tesla CEO Elon Musk, who the president tapped to lead the Department of Government Efficiency, of wanting to “Make America White Again” and making cuts to the Department of Education that primarily affect people of colour.
Young’s support for Carney comes after the Liberals tapped comedian Mike Myers— who also doesn’t live in Canada — for a series of political ads last month.
The spot, which generated over 13.5 million views on X, ends with Myers asking Carney a question that’s been on the minds of a lot of Canadians lately: “Let me ask you, Mr. Prime Minister, will there always be a Canada?”
“There will always be a Canada,” Carney says confidently.
Postmedia is committed to maintaining a lively but civil forum for discussion. Please keep comments relevant and respectful. Comments may take up to an hour to appear on the site. You will receive an email if there is a reply to your comment, an update to a thread you follow or if a user you follow comments. Visit our Community Guidelines for more information.