Heritage Minister Pablo Rodriguez firmly stated that there’s no need to question if a certain issue is making its way to Canada, as it is already present. Employment Minister Randy Boissonnault, who is the first openly gay MP elected in Alberta, denounced Carlson as “the mouthpiece of the MAGA Conservative far-right” and condemned his derogatory comments about LGBTQ individuals, accusing him of making homophobic and transgender jokes throughout the day, labeling his behavior deplorable and unacceptable. This further accentuated the American-style culture war now entrenched in Canadian politics in anticipation of the 2025 election.
Carlson, known for his mission to “liberate Canada,” held a sold-out matinee for 4,000 in Calgary and a stadium show for 8,000 in Edmonton, indicating that “whitelash” and grievance politics resonate with a financially well-off audience in Alberta. The former Fox News star, who reportedly earned $20 million annually, warned the crowd in Calgary that Ottawa politicians pose a threat to their wealth and power.
During the event, Alberta Premier Danielle Smith joined Carlson on stage to discuss energy politics and her ongoing conflict with Ottawa. As a self-described libertarian conservative, Smith was approached by event organizers after Carlson’s announcement that he was heading north to stir up trouble. Smith expressed her dissatisfaction with Ottawa and urged Carlson to focus on Canada’s environment minister, Steven Guilbeault, to which the crowd responded with loud cheers and applause.
In response to Smith’s comments, Guilbeault accused her of normalizing rhetoric that could potentially incite political violence, emphasizing the need for respectful and civil discourse in Canadian politics. The Liberals had previously employed Trump as a political foil, using attack ads to compare Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre’s team to MAGA Republicans, a strategy they plan to continue in the upcoming election.
Rejecting accusations of comparing Poilievre to Donald Trump, Guilbeault instead challenged the Conservative leader to condemn the “hateful and violent words.” Meanwhile, on stage in Calgary, Carlson made jokes about the LBGTQ community and used the prime minister as a punchline, drawing laughter from the audience.
Although Trudeau made only a passing mention of Carlson during his opening remarks at the Liberal caucus retreat, he accused Poilievre of being an apologist for Vladimir Putin, highlighting the Conservative’s decision to vote against updates to a Canada-Ukraine free-trade deal.
Despite the absence of any mention of Ukraine or Russia during Carlson’s stage appearance in Calgary, he focused on championing the rights of parents while blaming progressives, liberals, and especially the Trudeau government for various issues. Carlson also touched on political fraud, remarking “Politics in every country features frauds, maybe especially including my country,” and concluded his address with a call for a change in attitudes and replacing timidity with bravery.
