That Time Mike Huckabee Was Tricked Into Thinking Canada Had A "National Igloo"

“Hi, I’m governor Mike Huckabee of Arkansas, wanting to say, congratulations, Canada, on preserving your National Igloo.”

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The prank was pulled off in 2001, by Canadian satirical newscaster Rick Mercer, on his show "This Hour Has 22 Minutes."

One segment on the show, called "Talking to Americans," ridiculed American ignorance of Canada, and Huckabee, who was then the governor of Arkansas, fell victim.

Mercer told one American that, "Our capitol building in Canada is actually a downscale model of your Capitol building, except it's made out of ice. It's an igloo, you see. Now, we're worried about global warming and the fact that it might, uh, melt, so we're putting a dome over it but in order to pay for it we have to attract tourists. Would you be interested in visiting Canada's National Igloo?"

Huckabee, for one, appeared enthusiastic about the project, congratulating the Canadians on the success of their campaign.

"Hi, I'm governor Mike Huckabee of Arkansas, wanting to say, congratulations, Canada, on preserving your National Igloo," he said.

According to the Toronto Star, Mercer confirmed in 2007 that Huckabee wasn't in on the joke, recalling that he asked if the igloo was controversial in Canada.

"He had at least a glimmer of political acumen," the comedian said of Huckabee.

Among Mercer's other exploits reportedly include convincing Harvard students that Ottawa had a plan to "give Irish-Canadians the vote as a counterbalance to Quebec separatists," also in 2001. The year before, he got George W. Bush, then a Republican candidate for President, to accept the endorsement of Canadian Prime Minister "Jean Poutine."

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