Singer Christopher Cross used a stop at his Toronto concert to publicly apologise to Canadian fans for the trade war Donald Trump has waged against Canada, calling the US president an "a-hole" and telling the RBC Amphitheatre crowd he was "sorry and embarrassed" on behalf of his country. The remarks reflect growing friction between the two nations, with Canada's Prime Minister Mark Carney recently saying "America has changed" and that Canada would not return to its old relationship with the US, while Trump has accused Canada of "ripping us off for decades".

Cross, performing on 30 August, urged Canadians not to "give up" on America, pointing to the upcoming US election as a chance to "fix it", and joked that the two countries could be "victims of corporate greed together" once relations improve. He is not the only musician to needle Trump over the dispute — country singer Jelly Roll recently made similar jokes about rising tariff-driven prices while guest-hosting Jimmy Kimmel Live!. Cross, best known for 1980s hits "Sailing" and "Arthur's Theme", last released an album in 2017; Billboard said it had asked the White House for comment.