Popular American conservative talking head Tucker Carlson said he doesn’t understand why Toronto is the face of Canada.
During an on-stage interview in Calgary with Alberta premiere Danielle Smith on Wednesday, Carlson said the worst parts of Canada were its big cities.
“There’s one in particular that I’m sorry to say, I think is an atrocity. It’s not worse than Gary, Indiana or New York City, we’ve got a lot of atrocity cities in my country, but like why is Toronto the face of Canada…you see the mountains right there?,” he said.
“Have you been to northern Quebec?…it’s insane, have you been to the Maritimes, you know Labrador?” he exclaimed.
“It’s the craziest country you have so much, why are you clustered in the crappiest places? Go discover your own country,” Carlson continued.
Carlson who hosts his own political show on X, formerly Twitter, is well-known for his ultra-Conservative views and for spewing conspiracy theories by giving outlandish commentary on politics and social issues.
During his speech the live audience responded to his remarks about Toronto with a round of applause and audible laughter.
Since then, a TikTok video of Carlson denouncing Canada’s largest city has garnered significant attention online, and people did not hesitate to share their thoughts on his comments.
Some agreed with his sentiments saying they didn’t think Toronto was anything special.
“I’m Canadian and I don’t recognize Toronto as anything of significance,” one user wrote, while others suggested that Toronto’s status as the country’s economic engine was the reason for its reputation on the world stage.
According to data from Toronto Global, the Toronto region generates 50 per cent of Ontario’s GDP and 20 per cent of Canada’s GDP, its data also reveals that the region is home to over 7 million people.
Furthermore, some pointed out that because the majority of the population of Canada is concentrated along its southern border with the U.S. Toronto has inevitably become the country’s best-known and most recognizable city.
“I lived in Toronto for 7 years and I would say it’s arguably the BEST place if you are in Canada,” one TikTok user said.
Others criticized Carlson’s remarks on domestic travel and his knowledge of Canada, saying it was “too expensive” to discover their own country.
Currently, Toronto is home to the 3rd largest labour force in North America, remains a top destination for global talent across various disciplines, and boasts the third largest tech sector in North America, trailing only the Bay Area and New York City, according to Toronto Global.
