Smith to defend Alberta before Shapiro’s U.S. audience, while Nenshi complains

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith’s office says that her planned fireside chat with The Daily Wire founder Ben Shapiro will help bring Canada’s message to an engaged U.S. audience as Canada feels the...

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Alberta Premier Danielle Smith’s office says that her planned fireside chat with The Daily Wire founder Ben Shapiro will help bring Canada’s message to an engaged U.S. audience as Canada feels the devastation brought on by U.S. tariffs.

Smith defended her planned meeting with Shapiro after Alberta NDP Leader Naheed Nenshi accused the premier of meeting with an “extremist.”

Nenshi published his accusations in a release on Monday, referring to Shapiro as “far-right.”

The Daily Wire is a conservative media company.

“At a time when Canadians are encouraged to spend their tourism dollars in Canada and the Governor of Florida is insulting tourists from Canada, Danielle Smith will be fundraising for a far-right online platform with extremist Ben Shapiro,” said Nenshi. “It’s despicable, but not surprising, considering she just granted an interview to the extremist outlet Breitbart News.”

A spokesperson for Smith told True North that the premier was invited to a fireside chat with Shapiro hosted by PragerU in Florida at the end of March. Her itinerary is not yet finalized, and this event is the only one currently scheduled for her trip to Florida.

“A key part of the premier’s U.S. advocacy is advancing Alberta and Canada’s message with the American people,” said the spokesperson.

They added that given Shapiro’s millions of followers, his strong connection with U.S. President Donald Trump, and his belief that the U.S. should lower tariffs on Canada, the event will allow Smith to advocate for Alberta’s and Canada’s interests.

“At this event, the premier will be able to share Alberta and Canada’s message with an active, engaged, and influential U.S. audience, amidst the ongoing trade war,” said the spokesperson.

The provincial government will cover the cost of the premier’s travel and accommodations as the travel is part of Smith’s advocacy in the U.S.

Nenshi was not the only Alberta NDP MLA to criticize Smith.

Janis Irwin reposted a post to X from an Edmonton Muslim group claiming that Shapiro was a “racist, Zionist, and Islamophobe.” Shapiro is Jewish and observes Orthodox Judaism.

While the Muslim group used the term “Zionist” as a derogatory term for Shapiro, the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs defines Zionism as the belief in Israel’s right to exist.

“Those who call themselves anti-Zionists in effect call for the destruction – whether by force or diplomacy – of a UN member state and of the only liberal democracy in the Middle East. Advocating an end to the world’s only Jewish state is no less than a denial of the right of the Jewish people to self-determination,” said the CIJA.

The CBC ombudsman previously deemed it fair to link Ben Shapiro to extremists after the state broadcaster linked him to far-right extremism. The ruling came after Shapiro defended himself publicly against the CBC.