Alberta Premier Danielle Smith says she had a “meaningful fireside chat” with U.S. media personality Ben Shapiro during a non-profit conservative fundraiser in Florida this week, where she says she advocated for tariff-free trade between Canada and the United States.
Smith was a featured speaker at the PragerU 2025 East Coast Gala in Florida on March 27, where she shared the stage with Ben Shapiro, host of “The Ben Shapiro Show” and editor-in-chief of U.S. media company The Daily Wire. She said she talked about the current trade tensions between Canada and the United States, and shared Alberta’s “message” with a large American audience.
“I had a great time at the PragerU East Coast Gala tonight where I joined Ben Shapiro for a meaningful fireside chat to discuss the ongoing Canada-U.S. trade dispute and the benefits of having a tariff free relationship between our two countries,” Smith said in a March 27 social media post.
“I will always stand up for the best interests of Albertans and I’m grateful for the opportunity I had to share our message with hundreds of Americans tonight and thousands more via social media in the weeks to come.”
The Prager University Foundation, also known as PragerU, is an educational media platform with the stated purpose of promoting “pro-American values.” The organization produces short educational videos as part of its goal to provide “a free alternative to the dominant left-wing ideology in culture, media and education.”
A day after the event, Shapiro discussed the issue of tariffs and inflation in the United States on his show.
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“This is having an impact on President Trump’s approval ratings, particularly on the economy,” Shapiro said.
Smith said she is glad that Shapiro is making these comments following their event.
“I am pleased to see that the DAY AFTER I spent the evening speaking with [Shapiro] about the importance of maintaining a tariff free relationship between Canada and the U.S., he posted this podcast for millions of his Republican and influential viewers to see,” Smith said on social media on March 28.
“While we may not agree on everything – we share the same message on this tariff dispute: it is bad for Canada and it is bad for the U.S.”
The Alberta Opposition NDP had been calling on the premier to cancel her appearance at the event since early March, saying she should not meet with Shapiro, whom they accused of being a “far-right extremist.”
The Epoch Times contacted Shapiro for comment. He has strongly rejected the label in the past, and asked those using the label for a redaction.
Christina Gray, Alberta NDP House leader, said in a March 25 press release that Premier Smith “continues to undermine Canada’s sovereignty, putting her pro-Trump, self- serving agenda ahead of the people she was elected to represent.”
“In a time of economic and political uncertainty, Albertans need ethical, competent government,” she added. “Instead, Danielle Smith is engaging in self-serving political interference, cozying up to extremists, and abandoning her responsibility to Alberta.”
The NDP is also taking issue with Smith’s comments to U.S. media outlet Breitbart on March 8 that she had asked U.S. officials to pause tariffs while Canada undergoes a federal election, arguing that trade tensions have boosted support for the Liberals.
“Danielle Smith’s comments during her Breitbart interview are antithetical to democracy,” Opposition NDP Leader Naheed Nenshi said in a March 24 social media post.
Smith has defended her comments and her plan to attend the Florida event, saying she is pushing for Canada’s interest.
“I’m fiercely criticized for going into the lion’s den to change the hearts and minds of the very Americans we need on Canada’s side to avoid a trade war with the most powerful economy on Earth,” Smith said in a March 26 address in the legislative assembly.
“Well…here is my response to that. I will not be silent. Alberta will not be silent,” she added. “We will not be pushed around and called traitors for merely having the courage to actually do something about our nation’s and province’s predicament other than merely indulging in self-righteous tantrums.”
Since Trump first threatened to impose tariffs on Canada, Smith has favoured diplomacy. In an interview a day after Shapiro’s event, Smith said she has observed that Trump is “open to being persuaded,” which she said is the reason she has sought to engage with those in key positions in his administration.
Alberta adopted some retaliatory measures after Trump’s border security-related tariffs on Canada took effect on March 4. Those measures include barring U.S. products and services from government procurements, and halting the purchase of American alcohol through the province’s gaming and liquor agency.
Meanwhile, Smith has firmly ruled out energy cuts or export taxes to the United States.
