Tucker Carlson, a U.S. political commentator, is scheduled to make a visit to Calgary where he will conduct an interview with Premier Danielle Smith. The interview will be part of a question-and-answer session during Mr. Carlson’s show at the Calgary TELUS Convention Centre on Jan. 24. In response to the announcement, Ms. Smith’s office confirmed the upcoming appearance in an email to The Epoch Times.
The Premier’s press secretary commented on her participation in the event, stating that Ms. Smith engages in a range of public and private events and interviews with various journalists and broadcasters across the political spectrum. The email emphasized that the Premier does not necessarily align with the views of every interviewer or reporter she speaks with, but aims to share Alberta’s message with a broad audience, both domestically and internationally.
The event will include a speech by Mr. Carlson as well as an interview with businessman W. Brett Wilson. The decision of Ms. Smith to appear with Mr. Carlson was criticized by NDP Leader Rachel Notley, who expressed concerns about the negative impact this might have on Alberta’s reputation.
Following the announcement, there were attempts to reach Mr. Carlson and the convention center, but no immediate response was received. Mr. Carlson, formerly a host on Fox News, now hosts a new show on social media called “Tucker on X.” He has been known for occasionally targeting Canada and its federal Liberal government on his show, and has been a prominent supporter of the Freedom Convoy movement.
In related news, a survey by Gallup named Mr. Carlson as the most popular individual among Americans for news. Another analysis by Mediaite noted a decline of 1 million viewers in Fox News’s primetime lineup after Mr. Carlson’s departure. According to Gallup, Americans value their favorite public individual for news due to reasons such as liking the individual’s personality, trusting the individual, and obtaining a unique perspective not found in traditional news outlets. This report was contributed to by Jack Phillips.