**Pierre Poilievre, pictured on the Joe Rogan podcast. / YOUTUBE SCREENSHOT**

One of the toughest jobs for any Leader of the Opposition is getting broad, positive media attention outside the House of Commons. On that score, Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre’s appearance on the highly popular and controversial The Joe Rogan Experience made his visit this week to the United States a success.

The Conservative leader used his two and a half hour segment to argue against tariffs and “fight for Canada.”

Speaking outside the New York Stock Exchange on Thursday morning, Poilievre said he had a great conversation with Rogan, who he described as a great guy.

Poilievre said he went on the podcast because there is no better place to maximize our leverage — as the Canada-U.S.-Mexico Agreement nears — than appearing on the biggest podcast in the world.

One of the biggest leverage points we have to fight for tariff-free trade, to fight for our auto, steel, aluminum and lumber workers is the goodwill of the American people, he said.

“I used the podcast to argue in favour of removing those tariffs not just because it's great for Canadian workers, but also because it will make life more affordable for American consumers,” Poilievre remarked.

His appearance on The Joe Rogan Experience was released later Thursday.

Poilievre rejected the idea of Canada becoming the 51st state while calling the Canada-U.S. relationship a success that should be repaired. He defended Canada’s oil sands from environmental criticism, calling negative portrayals a “disgusting PR campaign.” He also pushed back against concerns about Alberta separatism.

Rogan and Poilievre also touched on immigration, where Poilievre said Canada is “a nation of immigrants, but we’re also a nation of laws.”

Poilievre predicts overwhelming victory in next election

The Conservative leader did not directly answer questions about his election loss, instead predicting that his party would “overwhelmingly” win the next election.

His weeklong trip to Detroit, Houston and New York was capped by a Thursday evening address at the Harvard Club in Manhattan.

Poilievre used the address to outline his broader vision for Canada-U.S. relations, arguing that the countries should stop treating each other as economic rivals and instead rebuild a closer partnership rooted in free trade, shared security and continental resource strength.

He said current tensions were real but temporary, and that both countries should strive to repair the relationship and restore reciprocal free trade. He argued that both are misidentifying their primary challenge — authoritarian regimes, particularly China’s growing economic influence.

Poilievre called for concrete steps to repair the trade relationship, including removing U.S. tariffs on Canadian aluminum, autos and lumber, negotiating a new auto pact and reviving the Keystone XL pipeline.

In the fireside chat, he said trade diversification isn’t a substitute for trade with the U.S., and that Canada’s biggest economic obstacle is domestic barriers stopping projects from being built.