Alberta's premier responds to Trump's trolling by saying Canada's oil helps make America wealthy

ABC News - Dec 18th, 2024
Open on ABC News

Alberta's Premier Danielle Smith responded to President-elect Donald Trump's comments about the U.S. trade deficit with Canada and his suggestion of making Canada the 51st state. Trump claimed the U.S. 'subsidizes' Canada and proposed a 25% tariff on Canadian goods, noting the trade deficit. Smith explained that the deficit results from Canada exporting billions in raw materials to the U.S., which are transformed into products that generate significant wealth in America. She highlighted that Canadian exports support millions of American jobs. Canada's ambassador to Washington, Kirsten Hillman, noted a $75 billion trade deficit last year and emphasized the significant role of energy exports. Smith plans to attend Trump's inauguration, while Ontario Premier Doug Ford warned that tariffs would harm U.S. markets. Canada is a crucial supplier of materials like steel and uranium to the U.S., with substantial daily trade between the two nations.

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RATING

6.4
Moderately Fair
Read with skepticism

The article provides a detailed account of the exchange between Alberta's Premier and President-elect Donald Trump regarding trade relations between Canada and the United States. While it covers the main points of the discussion and includes direct quotes from relevant parties, the article lacks citations to external sources, which affects its overall credibility.

RATING DETAILS

7
Accuracy

The article appears to accurately convey the main points of the discussion about trade deficits and tariffs. However, the absence of detailed data or external sources to verify some claims, such as the exact figures and statistics mentioned, slightly undermines its factual accuracy.

6
Balance

The article primarily presents the perspectives of Canada's representatives and does not delve deeply into the U.S. perspective beyond Trump's statements. While it quotes Trump, it lacks a broader range of viewpoints from U.S. economic experts or officials.

8
Clarity

The article is generally clear and logically structured, with a neutral tone. It effectively communicates the main points without using emotive language, although it could benefit from additional context to enhance reader understanding.

5
Source quality

The article includes quotes from public figures like Danielle Smith and Kirsten Hillman, but it does not provide citations from independent or third-party sources to validate the statistics mentioned, such as trade deficit numbers.

6
Transparency

The article does not disclose any potential conflicts of interest or affiliations. However, it could improve transparency by providing more context or background information about the economic relationship between Canada and the U.S.