Mark Critch (left) plays U.S. President Donald Trump and Mark McKinney plays Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney in an April 2025 episode of CBC-TV’s “This Hour Has 22 Minutes” – submitted photoArticle contentFor nearly 25 years on CBC-TV’s “22 Minutes,” Mark Critch has made a career of poking fun at us and those who shape us, making us laugh at ourselves to better understand ourselves. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY.Subscribe now to access this story and more:Unlimited access to the website and appExclusive access to premium content, newsletters and podcastsFull access to the e-Edition app, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment onEnjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalistsSupport local journalists and the next generation of journalistsSUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES.Subscribe or sign in to your account to continue your reading experience.Unlimited access to the website and appExclusive access to premium content, newsletters and podcastsFull access to the e-Edition app, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment onEnjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalistsSupport local journalists and the next generation of journalistsRegister to unlock more articles.Create an account or sign in to continue your reading experience.Access additional stories every monthShare your thoughts and join the conversation in our commenting communityGet email updates from your favourite authorsSign In or Create an AccountorArticle contentFor the past year, in the face of U.S. President Donald Trump’s 51st state threats and trade war, Critch has used his comedy – and now, his new book – to empower Canadians and reinforce a sense of national confidence – and many times he has gone viral for it. Article contentArticle contentArticle contentCritch’s Trump impression has drawn millions of views on social media platforms above and below the border. A recent “22 Minutes” skit, in which he parodies the American president reading a book called “Quiet, Piggy!” to a group of children in the Oval Office, as a response to Trump’s shocking recent comment to a female reporter asking him about the Epstein files, caught fire online and was picked up by several American media sites. Article contentWhen it comes to our strategy for dealing with Trump, there’s no place for apologies, Critch says with his book, “Sorry, Not Sorry.” Article content“Like many Canadians, I was shocked when I heard all this talk about the 51st state,” Critch told The Telegram earlier this fall. “As I often do when I’m frustrated by something, I started typing. Next thing I knew, I had a book.” Article contentPublished by Penguin Random House Canada at the end of November and already on the Toronto Star’s Canadian non-fiction bestseller list, the book features a collection of personal essays exploring our national identity and the future of the country. Article contentArticle contentIn one essay, Critch writes as Trump penning a love letter to Canada in a desperate effort to seduce it into annexation. Article content“It’s very much a book for these turbulent times, and my way of saying to Canadians that we’ll get through this together,” Critch said of the book. “Canada is very much worth fighting for.” Article contentCritch will officially launch “Sorry, Not Sorry” in St. John’s Sunday, Dec. 7 with an event at The Rooms starting at 7 p.m. Tickets are available on The Rooms website. Article contentIn the meantime, at a time when satire can feel as revealing as the nightly news, here are Critch’s unapologetic steps for delivering the perfect Trump parody. Article contentMark Critch’s Recipe for a Perfect Trump: Article contentFrown. Look serious, like a kid at a funeral out of their element who was told to ‘behave like a big boy’. Nod while adults are talking and pretend you understand. Don’t play with your tie – even though it’s too long because you tied it yourself – like a big boy. Empty your mind, like a Buddhist monk achieving enlightenment. There can be no thoughts. No curiosity. Nothing. Then, when your skull is completely empty, fill it with confidence. The confidence of a man hopped up on 12 Diet Cokes and a lifetime of Daddy’s money. Breathe in through your nose before you speak. Keep your mouth in kissy-face, somewhere between the face you’d make if you just sucked a lemon and a very bad Elvis.React, like a dog that hears a noise in the middle of the night. Wait until someone, preferably a woman, asks you anything and attack. DO NOT THINK BEFORE SPEAKING. I cannot stress this enough.Back yourself up with phrases that make it sound like someone has already agreed with the thing you’re saying for the first time ever. Phrases like “A lot of people are saying” and “Quite frankly” and “We’re hearing very good things”. Then accuse the person who asked you the question of being a ‘disaster’. Use the same phrases as before to back yourself up.Alternate between loud and quiet. It takes a lot of energy to be this dumb. You will need breaks, so you need to go from yelling and waving your hand around as if you’re playing an invisible accordion, to slouching and whispering like an asthmatic kitten.Shower for two hours. Article contentArticle content
How do you do a perfect Trump impression? Mark Critch offers his personal checklist with no apologies
