Original Publish Date » March 31 , 2025
Last Updated » 3 weeks
Jason Markusoff / CBC News » Alberta Premier Danielle Smith’s response to a U.S. podcaster’s quips about Canada as the 51st state last week, “That would be like adding another California to your electoral system, and [you] would never have a Republican president in the White House again,” Smith told the audience. “So I would just caution you that it’s probably best for us to just stay friends, and friends should never move in together.”
This stands in contrast with other Canadian leaders, even Conservative ones, who have handled Trump’s rhetoric about annexing Canada by vocally denouncing “an unjustified threat” or declaring the country’s not for sale. Instead, Smith gently deflected the 51st state references from MAGA influencer, Ben Shapiro, at a fundraising dinner for far-right PragerU by cautioning about how it would hurt the US right wing’s electoral prospects.
BBC » The Canadian Conservative trying to sweet talk Trump » Alberta Premier Danielle Smith says she is willing to walk into the “lion’s den” to sway US officials against Canadian tariffs – wooing the US president with meetings at Mar-a-Lago and cosying up with Trump-friendly media. While many of Canada’s leaders – from Prime Minister Mark Carney to Ontario’s Premier Doug Ford – are talking tough on Donald Trump, Smith has been taking a notably softer approach. But this tack has led to controversy – not only with her opponents, but also in her home province of Alberta, and with politicians who otherwise share her political leanings.
