--- title: "Alberta Premier Smith links US midterms to tariff policy" publication: "MediaBias News" url: "https://mediabias.news/politics/alberta-premier-smith-links-us-midterms-to-tariff-policy" api: "https://mediabias.news/api/v1/stories/alberta-premier-smith-links-us-midterms-to-tariff-policy" markdown: "https://mediabias.news/politics/alberta-premier-smith-links-us-midterms-to-tariff-policy.md" audio: "https://mediabias.news/api/audio/alberta-premier-smith-links-us-midterms-to-tariff-policy" category: "Politics" area: "United States" published: "2026-11-05T12:45:53.053Z" source_reported: "2026-11-05T03:16:06.000Z" updated: "2026-11-05T13:00:23.543Z" trust_score: 50 critic_score: 65 hype_score: 45 assessment_type: "coverage-and-source-reporting-analysis" fact_check_status: "not-performed" coverage_measured: "2026-11-05T12:30:22.719377+00:00" --- # Alberta Premier Smith links US midterms to tariff policy *Smith claims election results vindicate her approach to trade disputes, as Alberta announces new procurement policy.* **Scores for the source reporting** (0-100, assessing the original journalism this article was written from, not this write-up): - Trust 50 of 100, higher is better. Central claim attributed to named body, but relies on anonymous sourcing for some details. - Craft 65 of 100, higher is better. Quotes affected parties, separates fact from comment, and states what happens next. - Hype 45 of 100, lower is better. Headline is a direct quote, but the article does not fully support the claim of 'vindication'. Scored by MediaBias News; method at https://mediabias.news/methodology. **The short version** - Alberta Premier Danielle Smith said the US midterm election results, which led to Democrats controlling both houses of Congress, vindicate her government's stance on tariffs. - Alberta's government announced a new policy to prioritize Albertan and Canadian companies for small government contracts, estimated at $350 million. - Opposition NDP Leader Naheed Nenshi criticized the new procurement policy, stating it is two years too late and that wealth and jobs could have been created sooner. - Smith also suggested the midterm results offer an opportunity to improve Canada-US relations and pointed to her government's efforts to build cross-aisle relationships. Alberta Premier Danielle Smith stated that the results of the US midterm elections, which saw Democrats gain control of both houses of Congress, vindicate her government's approach to tariffs. Smith told the legislature that her province has always objected to tariffs, believing they are harmful to both Alberta and the US. She expressed hope that the election outcome would present an opportunity to improve relations between Canada and the United States. Earlier on the same day as Smith's statement, Alberta's government announced a new policy aimed at prioritizing Albertan and Canadian companies for small government contracts. Service Alberta Minister Dale Nally stated that this policy applies to approximately $350 million in government spending, representing about five per cent of procurement contracts. Nally added that 95 per cent of government contracts already go to Canadian companies and that the new measures are intended to help businesses impacted by current tariffs. Opposition NDP Leader Naheed Nenshi criticized the government's new procurement policy, calling it two years too late. Nenshi argued that significant wealth and jobs could have been generated in Alberta if the policy had been implemented earlier, suggesting it should have been done when Donald Trump was re-elected. Nenshi also commented on the US midterm results, suggesting voters are tired of 'culture war' politics, and pointed to a government bill requiring neutrality policies at post-secondary institutions as an example of such politics. ## Disagreement on policy timing Alberta Premier Danielle Smith stated that the US midterm election results are a vindication of her approach to tariffs. Opposition NDP Leader Naheed Nenshi stated that the government's new policy to prioritize Canadian companies for government contracts is two years too late. Nenshi suggested that wealth and jobs could have been created if the policy had been enacted sooner. ## What the coverage left out None of the reports below mention the specific US midterm election results beyond Democrats taking control of both houses of Congress. The reports do not detail which specific seats were flipped or the margin of victory for either party. ## Who covered it Shares of the 10 covering outlets with a published leaning rating: - Left: 70% (7) - Centre: 30% (3) - Right: 0% (0) 2 of 12 covering outlets carried no usable leaning rating and were excluded from those percentages. Coverage measured 2026-11-05T12:30:22.719377+00:00. **Coverage watch:** developing. Checked 3 times; 1 check found a material change. Most recently checked 2026-11-05T13:30:13.869Z. ## How the sides framed it ### Left - The left-rated report led on Alberta Premier Danielle Smith's statement that the US midterm election results vindicate her government's approach to tariffs. It reported that Democrats took control of both houses of Congress. The report also detailed Alberta's new policy to prioritize Canadian companies for government contracts worth about $350 million. It included criticism from Opposition NDP Leader Naheed Nenshi, who stated the policy was two years too late and that jobs could have been created sooner. The report also noted Nenshi's view that US midterm voters are tired of 'culture war' politics. ### Centre - The centre-rated outlets reported that Alberta Premier Danielle Smith stated that Democratic victories in the US midterms vindicated her stance on tariffs. They noted her government's opposition to trade penalties and their negative effects. - These reports mentioned that Democrats gained control of both houses of Congress. They also stated that the results were viewed as a rejection of President Trump's policies, including his trade practices with Canada. - The Winnipeg Free Press and CTV News reported that Smith's government announced a new policy prioritising local companies for government contracts due to the trade dispute. Narcity's digest did not include this detail. ### Right No separate framing summary. **Provisional coverage gap:** right. The watch is not closed, so this is not yet a settled blindspot finding. ## Factuality profile of the covering outlets These are published factuality ratings of the outlets, not a verdict on whether this story or its claims are true. - high: 5 - unknown: 2 - veryHigh: 5 ## Verification scope This page compares coverage and scores the source reporting. It is not a ClaimReview verdict on whether the underlying event or claim is true. ## Original reporting this was written from - [Global News](https://globalnews.ca/news/12137608/danielle-smith-midterms-tariffs) — Alberta Premier Smith says U.S. midterms ‘vindication’ of her approach to tariffs - [Airdrie City View](https://airdriecityview.com/national-business/alberta-premier-smith-says-us-midterms-vindication-of-her-approach-to-tariffs-12980970) — Alberta Premier Smith says U.S. midterms 'vindication' of her approach to tariffs - [Coast Reporter](https://coastreporter.net/national-business/alberta-premier-smith-says-us-midterms-vindication-of-her-approach-to-tariffs-12980990) — Alberta Premier Smith says U.S. midterms 'vindication' of her approach to tariffs - [Western Investor](https://westerninvestor.com/national-business/alberta-premier-smith-says-us-midterms-vindication-of-her-approach-to-tariffs-12980990) — Alberta Premier Smith says U.S. midterms 'vindication' of her approach to tariffs - [CTV News](https://ctvnews.ca/edmonton/article/alberta-premier-smith-says-us-midterm-results-vindicate-her-approach-to-tariffs) — Alberta Premier Smith says U.S. midterm results 'vindicate' her approach to tariffs - [Narcity](https://narcity.com/alberta-premier-calls-u-s-vote-a-vindication) — Alberta Premier Smith says U.S. midterm results 'vindicate' her approach to tariffs - [Bowen Island Undercurrent](https://bowenislandundercurrent.com/national-business/alberta-premier-smith-says-us-midterm-results-vindicate-her-approach-to-tariffs-12980990) — Alberta Premier Smith says U.S. midterm results 'vindicate' her approach to tariffs - [Rocky Mountain Outlook](https://rmoutlook.com/national-business/alberta-premier-smith-says-us-midterm-results-vindicate-her-approach-to-tariffs-12980970) — Alberta Premier Smith says U.S. midterm results 'vindicate' her approach to tariffs - [The Record](https://therecord.com/news/canada/alberta-premier-smith-says-u-s-midterm-results-vindicate-her-approach-to-tariffs/article_224d9fe4-d6a8-55c5-9a79-61c4f1f19d58.html) — Alberta Premier Smith says U.S. midterm results ‘vindicate’ her approach to tariffs - [The Toronto Star](https://thestar.com/news/canada/alberta-premier-smith-says-u-s-midterm-results-vindicate-her-approach-to-tariffs/article_9fe2887a-a8ad-51dc-86ab-563063da4443.html) — Alberta Premier Smith says U.S. midterm results ‘vindicate’ her approach to tariffs - [Winnipeg Free Press](https://winnipegfreepress.com/business/2026/11/04/alberta-premier-smith-says-u-s-midterm-results-vindicate-her-approach-to-tariffs) — Alberta Premier Smith says U.S. midterm results 'vindicate' her approach to tariffs - [thealbertan.com](https://thealbertan.com/national-business/alberta-premier-smith-says-us-midterm-results-vindicate-her-approach-to-tariffs-12980970) — Alberta Premier Smith says U.S. midterm results 'vindicate' her approach to tariffs ## Questions **What did Alberta Premier Danielle Smith say about the US midterm elections?** Premier Smith stated that the US midterm election results, which saw Democrats gain control of both houses of Congress, served as a vindication of her government's approach to tariffs. She expressed hope that the outcome would lead to improved relations between Canada and the United States. **What new policy did Alberta announce?** Alberta's government announced a new policy to prioritize Albertan and Canadian companies for small government contracts. Service Alberta Minister Dale Nally stated this policy applies to approximately $350 million in government spending. **How did the opposition react to Alberta's new policy?** Opposition NDP Leader Naheed Nenshi criticized the new procurement policy, stating it was two years too late. He suggested that significant wealth and jobs could have been created in Alberta if the policy had been implemented sooner. --- MediaBias News — https://mediabias.news. Reproduced from https://mediabias.news/politics/alberta-premier-smith-links-us-midterms-to-tariff-policy. Please cite as: MediaBias News, "Alberta Premier Smith links US midterms to tariff policy", https://mediabias.news/politics/alberta-premier-smith-links-us-midterms-to-tariff-policy