Alberta premier has ‘great time’ at controversial right-wing fundraiser in Florida

Following weeks of criticism for her plans to attend a speaking engagement with a conservative U.S. media personality, Alberta’s premier says she had a “great time.”

Danielle Smith was in Florida Thursday for the PragerU East Coast Gala where she shared the stage with Ben Shapiro.

In a post to social media following the event, Smith said her conversation with Shapiro was “meaningful” and the pair discussed “the ongoing Canada-U.S. trade dispute and the benefits of having a tariff free relationship between our two countries.”

“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,” she continued.

The premier had faced calls from the Opposition NDP and other critics to cancel the event, citing Shapiro’s comments about Canada becoming the 51st state and being a “silly country.”

The organization that hosted the event also hasn’t been without criticism; Florida-based PragerU is a conservative content company that describes itself as an educational media platform devoted to furthering U.S. values.

Its content, which a number of U.S. states have approved for use in schools, has been criticized for downplaying the harms of slavery and climate change while distorting historic events.

Attendance to the event came at a cost of US$1,500 a ticket. It was also closed to the press and not livestreamed.

Smith said the criticism she faced for attending the event, including being called a traitor, was unfair.

She had repeatedly said the purpose of the trip was to change the hearts and minds of American officials to defuse an escalading tariff war between Canada and the U.S.

However, the trip also came following the resurgence of comments Smith made on a right-wing American radio show in early March.

In the Breitbart interview, Smith admits to speaking with Trump administration officials and asking them to pause talks of tariffs until after the April 28 federal election.

She said the back-and-forth trade war has given the Liberals a boost in the polls, and she believes Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre would be a better fit for the goals of Trump’s administration.

The premier was then accused of election interference by the Opposition and others.

Her office said any suggestion Smith is asking the U.S. to interfere in Canada’s election is “offensive and false.”