Left-wing activists in Canada are petitioning Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to block former Fox News host Tucker Carlson from entering the country, arguing he promotes racism and conspiracy theories.
Carlson is slated to be in Calgary, Alberta, to interview province Premier Danielle Smith on Jan. 24, 2024.
A petition to Trudeau on Change.org describes Carlson as “a conspiracy theorist, active supporter of [Russian President Vladimir] Putin, promoter of racism and hate monger, supporter of the January 6 insurrection, [and] supporter of the rigged 2020 US elections conspiracy.”
Some of the other sins in the petitioners’ eyes are that Carlson called former President Donald Trump “sensible and wise,” and he referred to the Republican candidate’s indictment as a “political purge.”
The document contained 10 reasons why Trudeau should deny Carlson’s entry to the United States’ neighbor to the north.
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Former Alberta Premier Rachel Notley, with the socialist New Democratic Party, is calling on Smith to cancel her interview with Carlson.
“He is not a credible figure,” she told reporters last week.
“The fact that our premier believes it’s appropriate to normalize the things this person would say by appearing on a stage with him demonstrates a profound lack of judgment on her part,” Notley added.
She characterized Carlson as an “extremist” in a social media post last week.
Should right-wing Canadians counter the petition by giving Tucker a hero’s welcome?
Yes: 98% (52 Votes)
No: 2% (1 Votes)
Smith has restated her intent to meet with extremist Tucker Carlson.
By appearing on stage beside a person with such hateful, harmful views, Smith shows a total disregard for the negative consequences this will have on Alberta’s reputation, and casts severe doubt on her own. pic.twitter.com/oAOlNFKOoJ
— Rachel Notley (@RachelNotley) November 7, 2023
Smith’s office confirmed that she will be attending the event with Carlson.
“The premier participates in a variety of public and private events and does interviews with dozens of reporters, broadcasters and podcasters from across the political spectrum,” press secretary Sam Blackett said in an emailed statement to the Calgary Herald.
“Obviously, she does not subscribe to every view of every interviewer or reporter she speaks with whether that’s the CBC, the Toronto Star, or Tucker Carlson,” he continued.
“The premier aims to share Alberta’s message with as many people as possible whether they’re from Alberta, Canada, or around the world.”
Carlson famously said earlier this year, while still a host on Fox News, that the United States should “liberate” Canada from Trudeau because he had effectively turned the country into a “dictatorship.”
Tucker Carlson: “We’re spending all this money to liberate Ukraine from the Russians, why are we not sending an armed force north to liberate Canada from Trudeau? And, I mean it.” pic.twitter.com/21NTd8C9GI
— Media Matters (@mmfa) January 26, 2023
“Why should we stand back and let our largest trading partner, the country with which we share the longest border, and a great country — I’ve always loved Canada, because of its natural beauty, why should we let it become Cuba?” he asked.
“Like, why don’t we liberate it? We’re spending all this money to liberate Ukraine from the Russians, why are we not sending an armed force north to liberate Canada from Trudeau? And I mean it,” Carlson said.
He referenced the Trudeau government’s crackdown on the February 2022 Canadian trucker “Freedom Convoy” to protest COVID vaccine mandates as evidence that government was not protecting the people’s rights.
Covid mandates were a very dark time for many Canadians.
As an unvaccinated Canadian, I felt alone and hopeless. Relationships with loved ones were strained, I lost friends and spent many nights crying myself to sleep.
The Freedom Convoy changed all of that. I was proud to be… pic.twitter.com/wnMwFh1DH3
— 🇨🇦Unacceptable Canadian Girl🇨🇦 (@AreOhEssEyeEe) November 11, 2023
Trudeau responded to the protest by invoking the Emergencies Act. The convoy’s leaders were arrested, hundreds of supporters’ bank accounts were frozen, and their trucks were impounded and removed from the Canadian capital of Ottawa.
