🎤 From Disco to Dissent: Rod Stewart Torches Trump in a Surprise Anthem Remix
TORONTO, CANADA — The crowd expected glitter, nostalgia, and maybe a few tears. What they got was something entirely different: a political firebomb disguised as a disco classic. On a humid Toronto night, Rod Stewart didn’t just sing “I Will Survive”—he weaponized it.
The 80-year-old rock icon stunned fans at the Budweiser Stage on August 2 when he launched into Gloria Gaynor’s legendary empowerment anthem—only to hijack its lyrics for an unexpected purpose: torpedoing Donald Trump.
Gone were the heartbreak lyrics of the original. In their place: sharp digs at tariffs, nationalism, and a certain ex-president’s bizarre wish for Canada to join the U.S.
“We spent so many nights thinking how you did us wrong,
We’ve banded all together—your tariff made us strong…”
The audience roared. Stewart, clearly just getting warmed up, pushed further:
“You know you’re not so great,
There’s not a snowball’s chance in hell
We’ll be your 51st state…”
By the time he hit the climactic line—
“We will survive… 51st state, my f*ing a,”
—fans were on their feet, shouting in approval.
🎯 Why Now?
The timing wasn’t accidental. Days earlier, Donald Trump had reignited cross-border tensions by threatening Canada with a 35% goods tariff, dismissing trade negotiations and suggesting that Canada might as well become America’s 51st state.
Canadian leaders didn’t take it lightly. Ontario Premier Doug Ford counterpunched with a 25% electricity tariff, warning, “If the U.S. escalates, I will not hesitate to shut off electricity completely.”
Trump, ever undeterred, posted on Truth Social calling the move “abusive” and claimed he’d ordered retaliatory tariffs.
“The only thing that makes sense is for Canada to become our cherished 51st state,” Trump wrote.
Stewart, who once mingled with Trump at holiday parties in Palm Beach, said in a backstage interview:
“I used to like the guy… until he started behaving like a cartoon villain in a red tie.”
“He treated women horribly. And now he’s treating entire countries like disposable dates. Enough.”
🎸 From Ballads to Blowback
Known for hits like Maggie May and Do Ya Think I’m s*xy, Stewart has rarely waded into politics on stage. But in Toronto, he made a statement louder than any guitar solo:
Artists don’t just reflect culture—they confront it.
✅ Conclusion
Rod Stewart’s lyrical ambush was more than rockstar theatrics—it was a bold, no-holds-barred repudiation of political bullying, delivered with rhinestones and raspy vocals.
As U.S.-Canada tensions escalate over trade, Stewart’s remix echoed far beyond the stage. One thing is certain: this wasn’t just a concert. It was a cultural clapback. And the world heard it loud and clear.