“I thought I was going to make it through this, but I’m not. It hurts.” That was Canadian Prime Minister talking about Gord Downie, the Tragically Hip frontman and beloved Canadian icon, who died of brain cancer last night. Trudeau called Downie a friend, and he broke down in tears while speaking to the press about Downie. Trudeau spoke with real passion about what Downie had meant to Canada and how he worked to make the country a better place. “We are less as a country without Gord Downie in it,” he said. Watch him speak about Downie below.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau: "We are less of a country without Gord Downie in it." pic.twitter.com/40eE69qCtM

— CPAC (@CPAC_TV) October 18, 2017

I don’t think I’ve ever seen a world leader talk about a musician like that.