President-elect Donald Trump may have made headlines earlier this week for suggesting that Canada should become the 51st US state, but Alberta Premier Danielle Smith has found the humour in it.
Trump reportedly made the comments on November 29 during dinner with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and other government officials at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach, Florida.
The meeting occurred just days after Trump took to social media and threatened a 25% tariff on products from Mexico and Canada unless both countries tightened their borders to prevent drug trafficking and illegal migration.
The joke came up during a Fox Business interview with Premier Smith on Wednesday, with the host asking if she was offended by the comment, along with the cryptic AI-generated graphic the president-elect pushed onto social media yesterday being splashed onto the screen.
Smith responded by saying that she thought President Trump had a “great sense of humour,” adding that America and Canada are both very strong countries.
“We have fought side-by-side and lost men and women in wars together. I think that we got so many common interests that align us, I think this is a partnership worth fighting for,” she added.
You can watch Smith’s full interview below.
Chatted with @Varneyco of FOX business about how we can make gasoline prices more affordable for our American friends by building new pipelines to US refineries.
We look forward to working with the @realDonaldTrump administration to secure our shared border, stem the flow of… pic.twitter.com/byuO7MF9C9
— Danielle Smith (@ABDanielleSmith) December 4, 2024
Smith also said that she will be travelling to Washington, DC, for Trump’s inauguration in January, heading down a little early to catch inaugural balls being held in the city prior to his swearing-in on January 20.
Smith has been vocal on her goal to work with the incoming Trump administration, calling out Prime Minister Justin Trudeau late last month regarding drug and border security issues between Canada and the US raised by Trump.
Trump is anticipated to visit Alberta next summer as prominent world leaders gather in the province for the 51st G7 summit.
What do you think about comments made by the premier of Alberta regarding Trump? Let us know in the comments below.
With files from Irish Mae Silvestre