Tucker Carlson, pictured in West Palm Beach, Fla. on July 12, 2023, took part in a conversation with Alberta Premier Danielle Smith at an event in Calgary on Wednesday.Lynne Sladky/The Associated Press
Tucker Carlson, the American darling of right-wing commentary and conspiracy theories, had thousands of Albertans cheering and clapping at a cross between a comedy show and a political rally in Calgary, where he interviewed the Premier.
Mr. Carlson, who was booted from Fox News last April, delivered a rapid-fire speech and participated in a quick panel discussion Wednesday afternoon, opining on a range of topics and people, from Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland (”a mentally deficient fascist”) to former U.S. president Donald Trump (”orange ascendant”).
He then did a Q&A with Alberta Premier Danielle Smith, who prefaced the segment by noting she doesn’t necessarily agree with everyone who interviews her.
Mr. Carlson advised the conservative audience on how to deal with their political adversaries, particularly Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
“Let’s say you had some sort of weird Prime Minister who liked to dress up in fuzzy costumes. It would be super important to point that out a lot. Like, relentlessly,” he said. “There’s really only one way to combat that, and that is by pointing out what an absurd poseur this guy is.
“He’s like a ridiculous figure,” Mr. Carlson said. “You should dislike and resist Justin Trudeau and this government to the maximum extent of your ability. Before you do that, you should just laugh at him until you can’t breathe.”
Roughly 4,000 people attended the downtown event, according to oil man Brett Wilson, who joined Mr. Carlson on stage with Jordan Peterson, a psychologist and right-wing Canadian commentator, for a short panel discussion. There were 73 tables, where guests were served lunch, and rows and rows of seating for people with lesser tickets.
Mr. Carlson, who received multiple standing ovations during the afternoon, dismissed riots at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, as a “setup” orchestrated by “the left.” He did not provide any evidence to substantiate the claim, though he received applause of agreement from the audience.
“It is still to this day shrouded in secrecy and deception. And I know a lot about this subject. I’m from Washington.”
Mr. Carlson was also scheduled to speak in Edmonton Wednesday evening. Ms. Smith was set to deliver introductory remarks there, according to her office.
The Calgary crowd in the afternoon welcomed Ms. Smith with a standing ovation. Mr. Carlson said the two had dinner the evening prior and had “the best time.” Their discussion focused on energy, but he started by asking the Premier about the four men charged with conspiracy to commit murder in the wake of the 2022 border blockade at Coutts, Alta., in protest of the public-health restrictions tied to COVID-19.
The men are in remand, and their supporters, who made up a vocal part of the afternoon crowd, believe they are political prisoners and have been pressing for their release.
Ms. Smith referenced a phone call she had with Artur Pawlowski, a street preacher charged for his role in Coutts. After becoming Premier, Ms. Smith leaned on her former justice minister, asking him about the extent to which he could get involved in the case. Alberta’s ethics commissioner determined that Ms. Smith interfered in the justice system in a way that is a “threat to democracy.”
And so the Premier noted Wednesday that there are limitations on what she can do. But she still framed prosecutions tied to COVID as political and lamented her inability to take action.
“It is striking to me that a political action can be taken to launch a police charge and criminal proceedings, but you can’t take a political action and say: ‘You know what, on sober second thought, we’ve reconsidered. We’re wrong and we are going to vacate these charges.’”
She added: “I truly wish I could do more. But I’ve had my wings clipped in the last year.”
Ms. Smith rose to power in large part thanks to Albertans who were frustrated by restrictions tied to COVID. That alliance resurfaced Wednesday, a day after the Federal Court ruled that Ottawa’s decision to invoke the Emergencies Act in an effort to end the 2022 protests was not legally justified.
“I’m not proud of our country for having frozen bank accounts. I am not proud of our country for having jailed pastors,” the Premier said. “I’m not proud of our country for the fact that we still have people languishing in jail for, going on two years.”
In response to Ottawa’s intention to appeal Tuesday’s court ruling, she said, “It is a lawless government acting in a lawless way,” again sparking applause and whistles from the crowd.