'Offensive and false': Alberta Premier's office denies Smith urged U.S. to interfere in federal election

Nicholas Frew · CBC News

· Posted: Mar 23, 2025 7:57 PM EDT | Last Updated: 2 minutes ago

The bureau of Alberta Premier Danielle Smith is vehemently denying accusations that she asked the U.S. to interfere in Canadian national politics, arsenic comments Smith made during an interrogation with an American quality outlet earlier this period made waves this weekend.

Smith, on with different Canadian governmental leaders, has been lobbying U.S. counterparts against placing the stiff tariffs President Donald Trump wants connected Canadian goods. Part of her effort has included speaking with American quality media.

During a March 8 interrogation with Breitbart, a right-wing U.S. media company, Smith said the Conservative Party of Canada was acold up of the governing Liberal Party in polls earlier the commercialized war. But the menace of "unjust and unfair tariffs" had boosted Liberal support.

Smith told U.S. medication officials that she hoped "we could enactment things connected pause," truthful Canada could get done an election, she told Breitbart. Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre is much aligned with the Trump administration's agenda, Smith said.

Any proposition that Smith asked the U.S. to interfere in Canada's election is "offensive and false," her property secretary, Sam Blackett, told CBC News successful a statement.

The Breitbart interrogation occurred earlier the Liberals elected Mark Carney arsenic enactment leader, and earlier helium called a national predetermination Sunday morning.

Trade quality benefits Liberals, Smith says

Her comments were successful effect to the host's question astir whether Smith thought Canadians were acceptable to ballot for a Conservative government, fixed a right-leaning person mightiness person a amended moving narration with Trump.

"The longer this quality goes on, politicians posture, and it seems to beryllium benefiting the Liberals close now," Smith told Breitbart.

"Let's conscionable enactment things connected intermission truthful we tin get done an election," she said. "Let's person the champion idiosyncratic astatine the array marque the statement for however they would woody with it — and I deliberation that's [Conservative Leader] Pierre Poilievre."

She went connected to hold with the host, saying that if Poilievre was Canada's premier minister, the 2 countries could spouse connected "a fig of things" and that she believes they'd person a "great relationship" portion Poilievre and Trump served.

Smith, who leads Alberta's United Conservative Party, has antecedently said she favours Poilievre, but that Canada, ultimately, needs elite a premier minister who tin enactment with Trump during his term.

Smith conscionable answered a elemental question, says analyst

Gitane De Silva, laminitis and main of GDStrategic, a nationalist argumentation radical successful Calgary, said Smith is allowed to person a idiosyncratic governmental sentiment and that, arsenic a conservative, she would enactment a Conservative government.

"I deliberation she was conscionable answering a question that she was asked," De Silva said astir Smith's comments successful the Breitbart interview. "Just similar President Trump has commented connected who he'd alternatively enactment with, Premier Smith would alternatively enactment with a Conservative authorities successful Ottawa."

In a abstracted connection Sunday, Smith noted that she has been moving to person U.S. officials astir the imaginable harm tariffs could person connected some countries, and propulsion for a intermission connected tariffs until Canada has a national election, which would let whoever wins clip to renegotiate the Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement, the escaped commercialized woody betwixt the North American neighbours.

"Now that an predetermination has been called, I would reiterate my anticipation that the United States would refrain from placing tariffs connected their closest state and largest trading spouse during the mediate of the election," Smith said successful the statement.

Canadians volition yet determine who they privation to lead, she said, adding that she feels the Liberal government's policies person weakened the state during the party's tenure.

Poilievre echoed the second Sunday, aft being asked astir what Smith said during the Breitbart interview.

WATCH | Poilievre, Carney asked astir Alberta premier's tariff comments to U.S. outlet: 

"The president thinks helium volition person it easier to woody with a liberal," helium told reporters during a scrum, aft officially launching his campaign.

Trump said earlier this week that helium doesn't attraction who wins a Canadian election, but that "it's easier to deal, actually, with a liberal."

On Sunday morning, Carney was besides asked astir Smith's comments, noting Smith's alignment of Poilievre with Trump.

"That's 1 of the decisions that Canadians volition person to make," helium said.

During a rally aboriginal Sunday, Carney quoted Smith, past said "everything would beryllium connected the table" with Poilievre astatine the helm.

The national predetermination is acceptable for April 28.