Premier Smith’s PragerU guest appearance set to add embarrassment to Alberta

By Lethbridge Herald on March 12, 2025.

POINT OF VIEW – Editor Scott Sakatch

As a journalist, I try my best to be politically neutral (in what I write, at least; those who know me personally would say otherwise) because I believe the media should always take pains to present all sides of an argument. So when Premier Danielle Smith decided to meet with then newly-elected U.S. President Donald Trump at his Florida home in January, I kept my grubby little fingers off the keyboard. While I have my own personal opinions about the Great Puffed Cheeto, I also knew that the argument could easily be made in favour of handling him with kid gloves and trying to get ahead of the tariffs. 

After all, his threat was (obviously) very real and Smith knew they could have devastating impact on Alberta’s economy. Sure, it might not have been the best way to spend taxpayer dollars, especially in hindsight, but the potential benefits of the trip were enough for me to give Smith the benefit of the doubt. There were more than enough Roasters and letter writers who were more than happy to offer their opinions in the Herald.

But then I found out a couple of days ago that Smith was headed back to Florida at the end of March. Only this time, she’s not going to meet with Golfy McFelon at Mar-A-Lago for more “negotiations.” This isn’t about “cowboy diplomacy” or trade barriers or keeping Alberta’s economy from being destroyed by random, arbitrary sanctions imposed by someone who knows less about the economy than the average fifth-grader and who is single-handedly threatening the viability of my retirement savings…

Ahem. Sorry, I’ll try to keep focused here.

No, this trip, as far as I can determine, is solely about “owning the libs lol.”

Smith is scheduled to be a guest at a fundraiser event for an entity called Prager University. Its name tends to be shortened to “PragerU” for two reasons: first, it’s more punchy, and second, it’s no more a university than I am the point guard for the Toronto Raptors. PragerU is a non-profit advocacy group named for Dennis Prager, the right-wing radio host who founded it in 2009. I’m sure it’s a complete coincidence that it appeared right after the election of America’s first Black president, but again, I digress. PragerU is almost entirely funded by ultra-wealthy right-wing donors who have a not-so-vested interest in making sure their tax cuts stay nice and juicy.

These days, PragerU’s most recognizable face belongs to one Ben Shapiro, a right-wing media figure who appears to spend all day, every day online. What’s he doing there, you ask? He’s actively, gleefully and mockingly spreading misinformation. I say gleefully because he doesn’t just lie, he lies with a big, smug smirk on his face, a look that practically dares you to contradict him because he literally has all day to argue, while the rest of us have to make a living.

I’m not talking about having a different opinion, ie: tax cuts for the wealthy are good while Social Security is bad. Arguments (flimsy thought they may be) can be made for and against both sides there. I’m talking about flat-out lies, the kind that you told your mom when you were a kid and knocked over the flower pot, and you conjured up a whopper about the giant dog that ran past and there were police chasing it and you were just trying to get out of the way so really, you were the hero there.

Why do I say that? Because Shapiro is quite literally paid to parrot every single nonsensical thing that comes out of Donald Trump’s mouth (or his thumbs, when he’s sitting on his gold toilet and Freedom-Socialling). Everything that Trump believes, Shapiro will back up loudly, and with a zealous energy that’s truly frightening to watch. And he’s everywhere online, from social media to YouTube. In short, he’s a misinformation disseminating machine. He’s Rush Limbaugh, except with fewer scruples.

And that’s where I draw the line. The premier of the province I love has chosen to give legitimacy to a person who carries the water for the man trying to ruin our economy. She is going to sit down and chew the fat with a guy who jeeringly calls Canada the 51st state. Worst of all, she’s sharing a stage with someone who lies for a living.

I don’t care what your political stripe is: this is not okay, and it’s not normal. We have to stop acting like it is. Unless and until we do, Alberta continue to be an embarrassment to the rest of the country.