Mike Myers took a swipe at Donald Trump’s calls to make Canada the “51st state” during an appearance on Saturday Night Live.
The comic, who hails from Toronto, appeared in the comedy show’s curtain call on Saturday (1 March) after making a surprise cameo in the opening sketch, playing Elon Musk.
Standing with host Shane Gillis and musical guest Tate McRae, the 61-year-old SNL alumnus wore a black t-shirt featuring the slogan “Canada is not for sale” alongside his home nation’s red and white flag.
He also mouthed the words “elbows up” as the credits rolled on the episode, which marked Myers’ first SNL appearance in 10 years.
Myers’ pointed fashion choice comes after the president has repeatedly suggested that Canada should become the “51st state” of the United States of America, claiming that the country would be “better off”.
In an interview with Fox News last month, Trump said: “I think Canada would be much better off being the 51st state because we lose $200 billion a year with Canada. And I’m not going to let that happen.
“Why are we paying $200 billion a year, essentially a subsidy to Canada?”
It’s thought that the $200 billion figure referenced by Trump refers to defence spending and a trade deficit.
The president has also imposed tariffs on imports from Canada, which are set to go into effect this month.
Myers, who was a cast member on SNL from 1989 to 1995, donned a “tech support” t-shirt and grabbed a chainsaw to take on the role of Musk in the episode’s opening scene, which re-imagined Trump’s heated White House meeting with Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky.
In the sketch, Myers’ Musk burst into the Oval Office while James Austin Johnson’s Trump and Bowen Yang’s JD Vance were in the middle of a fraught discussion.
“What are you doing in my office?” Myers then asked, adding: “I’m the president now. I’m kidding. Maybe I’m not.”
Tech mogul and Twitter/X owner Musk is currently Trump's senior advisor, but last month, the White House clarified that he has “no actual or formal authority” to make decisions.
