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U.S. anthem booed before Raptors game amid tariffs dispute

February 3, 2025

Fans at a Toronto Raptors game against the Los Angeles Clippers loudly booed at “The Star-Spangled Banner” on Sunday. This follows a recurrent trend of booing the American national anthem at Canadian sporting events.

Canadians are irate at American President Donald Trump’s decision to impose 25% tariffs on Canada last Saturday.

Raptors fans initially cheered 15-year-old Kyra Daniel singing the anthems but later booed throughout her performance of The Star-Spangled Banner. Fans also booed the anthem on Saturday night at NHL games in Ottawa and Calgary, where the Senators and Flames met the Minnesota Wild and Detroit Red Wings.

Daniel was applauded after finishing, and the crowd then cheered the Canadian anthem “O Canada.” The game ended in a 115-108 victory for the Raptors.

President Trump’s tariffs

Last Saturday, Trump ordered 25% tariffs on Canadian and Mexican imports and 10% tariffs on goods from China. Energy imported from Canada, including oil, electricity and natural gas, will be taxed at a 10% rate.

Speaking on his Truth Social platform on Sunday, he said: “We pay hundreds of Billions of Dollars to SUBSIDIZE Canada. Why? There is no reason.

“We don’t need anything they have. We have unlimited Energy, should make our own Cars, and have more Lumber than we can ever use.”

He added: “Therefore, Canada should become our Cherished 51st State.”

Embed from Getty Images

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced that Canada will retaliate against Trump’s tariffs. Trudeau told a news conference that he will place 25% levies on several U.S. imports. He revealed that he would impose CA$155 billion ($107 billion) on U.S. goods. On Tuesday, CA$30 billion tariffs on U.S. goods will take effect, followed by CA$125 billion in the next weeks.

Several Canadian provinces also took actions independent of the federal government. Ontario Premier Doug Ford ordered the Liquor Control Board of Ontario (LCBO) to rid its shelves of American products.

Implications for the 2026 World Cup

The 2026 men’s World Cup is set to be the biggest in the tournament’s history. An expanded tournament will feature 48 teams and will take place across 16 cities in the United States, Canada and Mexico. It will be the first time that hosting duties will be divided between three nations.

However, recent events have left football fans speculating on the future of this coalition.

It is not the first time that controversy has emerged surrounding the tournament’s host nation. Scrutiny on Qatar’s hosting of the 2022 World Cup arose concerning the country’s alleged violation of human rights, particularly migrant worker rights. As well as several discussions, including women’s and LGBTQ+ rights and alcohol consumption.

Now, with all three nations on the brink of a trade war, how these countries will join together to host the tournament remains uncertain. One user on the popular social media platform X has even labelled the ongoing situation as “interesting”:

While only at the beginning of this trade dispute between the three nations and Trump already pledging to impose tariffs on the European Union, it is impossible to predict how this will unfold.

However, in more ways than one, sport and politics continue to be inextricably linked.

Author

  • Kyrenia Shipillis

    Kyrenia is a London-based Editor for the Sports Gazette. Growing up watching Tottenham Hotspur and a devoted Paris Saint-Germain fan, she is interested in writing about the development and events within Football Leagues abroad. Kyrenia also runs a successful Football TikTok account where she analyses the tactical, environmental and political issues concerning the sport.

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