'I will not be silent': Danielle Smith defends U.S. diplomatic efforts in face of national criticism

Andrew Jeffrey · CBC News

· Posted: Mar 26, 2025 8:14 PM EDT | Last Updated: 5 minutes ago

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith responded connected Wednesday to the barrage of disapproval she's faced from crossed Canada for her caller diplomatic efforts and media appearances successful the U.S.

During Wednesday's afternoon league successful the Alberta Legislature, Smith said she's been unjustly criticized for her attempts to transportation officials that a commercialized warfare betwixt the U.S. and Canada would beryllium a atrocious idea. She defended her strategy, characterizing her actions arsenic entering the "lion's den" to alteration the hearts and minds of Americans that Canada needs connected its side.

"I volition not beryllium silent. Alberta volition not beryllium silent. We volition not beryllium pushed astir and called traitors for simply having the courageousness to really bash thing astir our nation's and province's predicament, different than simply indulging successful self-righteous tantrums," Smith said.

"Until this information to Alberta and our system is past, they're going to person to rotation maine disconnected successful a stretcher earlier I volition halt warring for this state and our people."

Smith gave these remarks to the legislature arsenic she prepares to alert to Florida this week to talk astatine an event with U.S. blimpish media property Ben Shapiro astatine a fundraiser for non-profit enactment PragerU. Her information successful the lawsuit has been criticized due to the fact that of the engagement of far-right figures successful the U.S.

Criticism of Smith has intensified across Canada since past weekend, erstwhile her March 8 interrogation with right-wing U.S. media outlet Breitbart News resurfaced.

In the interview, Smith said the menace of "unjust and unfair tariffs" had boosted Liberal support, and added that she'd told U.S. medication officials that she hoped "we could enactment things connected pause," truthful Canada could get done an election.

She besides said that Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre's position is "very overmuch successful sync" with the Trump administration.

Earlier this week, Alberta NDP Leader Naheed Nenshi suggested Smith had invited a overseas state to interfere successful Canada's election, a assertion that's been echoed crossed societal media arsenic well. Smith's property caput Sam Blackett told CBC News past play that immoderate proposition Smith asked the U.S. to interfere successful Canada's national election, which was called connected Sunday, is "offensive and false."

Alberta NDP deputy person Rakhi Pancholi responded to Smith's code connected Wednesday by arguing the premier's diplomatic efforts person not proven to beryllium effective, because ongoing tariff threats proceed to destabilize Canada's economy. 

The White House went up with tariffs connected Canadian alloy and aluminum earlier this month, and U.S. President Donald Trump signed an enforcement bid the aforesaid time of Smith's code to enforce tariffs connected each car imports.

"We indispensable beryllium smart, gathering semipermanent relationships with U.S. stakeholders that enactment Alberta's interests connected each sides of the governmental spectrum, not conscionable ideological buddies," Pancholi said successful the legislature connected Wednesday.

Diplomatic efforts rise questions

Lori Williams, subordinate prof of argumentation studies astatine Mount Royal University, said determination are morganatic questions to rise astir whether Smith's diplomatic efforts person been adjuvant to Canada, and that it would beryllium amended for Smith to prosecute with those questions.

"This effect successful the legislature is going to play precise good with her supporters, but determination are tons of folks successful Alberta and Canada who are caught up successful this surge of nationalist unity, privation to support Canada, and are acrophobic with immoderate of the things Danielle Smith has said," Williams said.

Social media comments calling Smith a traitor are unfortunate and excessively common, Williams noted. But she said that Smith's remarks connected Wednesday seemed similar an effort to displacement absorption distant from the disapproval of her Breitbart interview, and to overgarment each disapproval of her arsenic attacks connected her attempts to basal up for Alberta.

Williams said she's unsure if Smith's comments successful the Breitbart interview that have drawn the disapproval — asking to intermission alternatively than halt tariffs and saying Poilievre is much successful sync with Trump — truly look arsenic though they're lasting up for Canada.

"There are a batch of Canadians that are very, precise focused connected nationalist unity close now, lasting up for Canada against threats that are coming retired of the United States," Williams said. 

"They don't spot different Canadians arsenic the superior threat, they spot the Donald Trump medication arsenic the superior menace that Canada needs to beryllium acrophobic with, and I deliberation she'd beryllium omniscient to absorption connected that."