Pat McAfee Faces Death Threats After Criticizing Canadian Fans Over Anthem Booing

Pat McAfee, ex-NFL punter turned media personality, found himself in hot water after calling Canada a "terrible" country for booing the U.S. national anthem at a WWE event in Toronto. And as if the virtual backlash wasn’t enough, he received some downright disturbing messages targeting him and his infant daughter.

During a WWE Elimination Chamber event, Elizabeth Irving performed "The Star-Spangled Banner" as Canadian fans booed loudly. McAfee didn’t mince words during the broadcast, lambasting the crowd and even labeling the entire country as "terrible" for the disrespect. He linked the booing to ongoing tensions stemming from U.S. tariffs and "51st state" jokes made earlier by then-President Donald Trump.

"It kind of sucks that it's in the terrible country of Canada," McAfee said on-air, clearly unamused by the reception the anthem received.

But his fiery remarks were met with an equally intense reaction on social media. McAfee shared some of the vile messages he received via Instagram, which ranged from calling him "f---ing pathetic" and a "p----" to outright wishing death upon him and his young daughter. One particularly horrific message read, "i hope that little brat f---ing dies." Another threatened, "if you want to s--- on free speech you better be ready to die."

Taking to social media, McAfee addressed the harassment with a sarcastic tone, saying, "Good morning beautiful people... Standard Wednesday over here… just some random wishing death upon me & my daughter... Hope you all have a great day." Honestly, if sarcasm were a shield, McAfee might just be invincible.

Despite the backlash, McAfee doubled down on his comments earlier this week, stating, "I’m very proud and thankful that I’m from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, in the United States of America… Canadians have a lot of passion for their country and I understand it… You booed our country and I said you’re terrible." His stance seems unapologetically firm, though he acknowledged the fervor of Canadian patriotism.

Adding a cherry on top of this messy sundae, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau rubbed salt in the wound after Canada beat the USA in the 4 Nations Face-Off. Trudeau tweeted, "You can't take our game – and you can't take our country." Ouch.

McAfee’s outspoken nature may have earned him fans in the U.S., but it’s clear that not everyone north of the border is sending warm regards. Free speech comes with its price, but death threats? That’s crossing the line, no matter how heated the debate gets.