Trump administration secretly met with Canadian Alberta separatists: Media revealed details

The administration of US President Donald Trump held secret meetings with extreme separatists from the oil-rich Canadian province of Alberta, as the rift between Washington and Ottawa deepens, UNN reports with reference to FT.

Details

According to people familiar with the talks, leaders of the "Alberta Prosperity Project," a group of ultraright separatists who want the western province to become independent, have met with US State Department officials in Washington three times since April last year.

The publication notes that they are seeking another meeting next month with state officials and the US Treasury Department to request a $500 billion line of credit to fund the province if an independence referendum, which has not yet been held, is conducted.

"The US is extremely enthusiastic about a free and independent Alberta," Jeff Rath, APP's legal counsel who attended the meetings, told FT.

He claimed to have a "much stronger relationship" with the Trump administration than Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney.

A State Department spokesperson said: "The Department regularly meets with civil society representatives. As is typical in such routine meetings, no commitments were made."

A White House official stated: "Administration officials meet with a range of civil society groups. No such support or any other commitments were expressed."

A person familiar with the thinking of US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said that neither he nor any other Treasury officials were aware of any proposal for a line of credit and had no intention of engaging on the matter. This person added that no senior Treasury official had received a request for a meeting.

The US Treasury Department declined to comment. A spokesperson for Carney also declined to comment.

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FT notes that the contacts coincide with deteriorating relations between the US and Canada. President Donald Trump and Carney clashed last week after the Canadian prime minister suggested Washington was creating a "rupture" in the global order.

According to people familiar with America's position, the US is unlikely to provide any material support to a marginal separatist movement. But the talks underscore the tensions between Washington and Carney's federal government in Ottawa.

Carlo Dade of the Canada West Foundation, a conservative think tank in Calgary, called the separatist leaders "attention seekers." He added: "The Americans are more than happy to continue to pit Canadians against each other."

Last week, Bessent sparked a flurry of excitement among Alberta separatists when he called the province — the largest source of foreign oil for the American market — a "natural partner for the US."

"Albertans are very independent people," he told right-wing podcaster Jack Posobiec. "There are rumors that they may hold a referendum on whether they want to remain in Canada or not."

A person familiar with Bessent's thoughts said that the Treasury Secretary did not support or oppose the Alberta independence movement, but believes Carney is pursuing personal goals to the detriment of the province, highlighting his previous work on climate issues.

Bessent believes that Alberta can deepen its ties with the US while remaining a Canadian province, this person added.

Let's add

The publication notes that Carney grew up in Edmonton, the capital of Alberta. The province of 5 million people has had a small independence movement for decades, with roots dating back to the formation of Canada over 150 years ago.

An Ipsos poll conducted last week showed that approximately three out of 10 Albertans and Quebecers would vote for their province to separate from Canada. But unlike Quebec, Alberta's independence movement has never gained real traction.

The Alberta Prosperity Project (APP) is trying to collect 177,000 signatures to bring an independence petition to the legislature by May. The party declined to say how many signatures it has collected to date.

Nevertheless, the talks will fuel existing fears about the interference of the Trump administration and its representatives in Canada's internal affairs.

"We are seeing evidence of foreign interference," said Gil McGowan, president of the Alberta Federation of Labour, pointing to social media ad campaigns, the use of online bots, and the voices of Maga influencers. "It doesn't seem organic, we are being targeted by the Maga crowd."

"Alberta is an important partner in our federation," said a spokesperson for Canada-US Trade Minister Dominic LeBlanc. "(The government) is working to rebuild the relationship between Canada and Alberta based on shared goals and respect for each other's jurisdiction."

Rath declined to say who APP had communicated with in Washington. "We are meeting with very, very senior people who leave our meetings to go directly to the Oval Office," he stated.

The separatist party has adopted themes similar to those of the Brexit movement in the United Kingdom. It accuses Ottawa of squandering billions of dollars in oil revenues and promotes conspiracy theories surrounding Chinese influence, the persecution of Christians, and the "globalist" agenda.

Rath said his group had also met with officials from Quebec's separatist movement, which lost independence referendums in 1980 and 1995.

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith, who lowered the threshold for a referendum last year, opposes provincial independence.

"The overwhelming majority of Albertans are not interested in becoming a US state," a spokesperson for Smith said.

The "Alberta is Canada Forever" campaign, a counter-petition against independence, garnered 438,568 signatures by last December's deadline.