Chrétien jokes about burning White House at Liberal convention
At the Liberal leadership convention in Toronto, former prime minister Jean Chrétien joked about burning down the White House as a ‘history lesson’ seemingly directed at U.S. President Donald Trump.
At the Liberal leadership convention in Toronto, former prime minister Jean Chrétien joked about burning down the White House as a ‘history lesson’ seemingly directed at U.S. President Donald Trump.
Addressing Liberal party members, Chrétien referenced historical moments of Canadian resistance to U.S. influence.
While recalling the War of 1812, he joked; “apparently, some burned down the White House at that time.”
The remark drew laughter and applause from the crowd.
Chrétien, who turned 91 in January and remains the oldest living former Canadian prime minister, assured the audience that he would not be participating in any such activities; “I am too old to burn the White House,” he joked.
He also referenced another moment in history when Canada resisted pressure from south of the border while the fledgling colonies were waging war against Britain.
“In 1776, Benjamin Franklin spent a year in Montreal trying to convince the people to join the American Revolution, and he was told by the francophones, ‘Non, merci.’”
Chrétien went on to address Trump directly, saying, “From one old guy to another old guy—stop this nonsense.”
The comment was a direct reference to Trump’s past remarks about Canada potentially becoming the 51st U.S. state.
Chrétien suggested that Trump should be honoured with the Order of Canada, the country’s second-highest civilian honour, for inadvertently helping to unite the nation through his tariff threats and controversial statements.
Trump’s recent trade policies and comments about Canada’s political status have sparked a backlash among Canadians, with the Liberal party capitalizing on a surge in support.
After struggling in the polls, the party has seen a modest rebound, narrowing the gap with the opposition Conservatives.
If the best you can do is tell lame jokes then you should take your status as retired more seriously.
Of course in 1812 when the good old boys took a few kegs of beer and some fireworks to inspire the "bombs bursting in air" song there was no Canada. British burnt the White House and then came home to sleep it off. But tell your story how it suits you. Its only human after all.