Carney takes jab at Danielle Smith’s Fox News appearances

Over the weekend, Liberal Leader Mark Carney took a crack at two Canadian premiers’ attempts to dissuade U.S. President Donald Trump from imposing tariffs on Canada

During a campaign stop in British Columbia on Sunday, Carney poked fun at Alberta Premier Danielle Smith and Ontario Premier Doug Ford’s appearances on U.S. conservative network, Fox News.

Carney’s sidebar on Smith and Ford came while discussing what Canada is doing to counter Trump’s tariffs.

“We’re fighting the Americans in the pocketbook,” he told supporters. “We have retaliatory tariffs on them. We just hit them again in the auto sector. We’re fighting them… on Fox News.

“We’re sending Doug Ford on to Fox News, to show them that we’re not messing around up here.”

Carney’s comments were met with laughs and applause from his base.

Ford has appeared various times on Fox News to convince Americans that tariffs are bad for both countries, and to dispel the notion that Canada would be open to annexation.

Carney then mocked the Alberta premier’s own such efforts.

“And we’re going to send Danielle next, we’re… well no, maybe we won’t send Danielle,” the Liberal leader said. “No, maybe we won’t. We won’t send Danielle. We’re going to keep her. No, it was a bad idea. Strike that, just ignore that.”

Smith responded Monday by accusing Carney of being intimidated by a “strong conservative woman.” She also said Carney’s jab contradicts his support for women and that she won’t “shut up.”

Premier Smith has long maintained it is her duty to do everything she can to reach out to Americans to prevent tariffs.

She has made frequent appearances on Fox News – beginning in the lead-up to Trump’s inauguration in January. She also visited Mar-a-Lago that month, Trump’s Florida home.

Recently the Alberta premier travelled to Florida – where she spoke with U.S. conservative media personality Ben Shapiro. She was also interviewed by outlet Breitbart News, a conversation that was met with backlash for saying the tariff threat was hurting Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre, her preferred candidate, in Canada’s federal election.

Carney and Smith’s relationship has been on rough footing since he was sworn in last month as prime minister, with the premier threatening a national unity crisis if the next federal government doesn’t meet a list of Alberta demands.

–With files from The Canadian Press