Alberta Separatists Meet With Trump Officials – Canada is FUMING!

A fringe separatist group from oil-rich Alberta is asking the United States Treasury Department for half a trillion dollars to break up Canada, and the meetings have already happened behind closed doors.

Story Snapshot

Alberta Prosperity Project held three secret meetings with Trump administration officials since April 2025, requesting a $500 billion credit line to fund an independence referendum
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney publicly warned the US to respect Canadian sovereignty after the Financial Times exposed the covert talks
British Columbia Premier David Eby called the separatists’ foreign outreach “treason,” while the Trump administration denies making any commitments
Public opinion in Alberta shows significant opposition to independence, with a counter-petition gathering 438,568 signatures
The separatist group plans additional meetings with State and Treasury Department officials in February 2026

Half a Trillion Dollar Request for a Referendum

The Alberta Prosperity Project approached the Trump administration with an audacious proposal: a $500 billion credit facility from the US Treasury Department to finance a provincial independence referendum. The APP’s legal counsel, Jeff Rath, met with State Department officials three times over nine months beginning in April 2025, conducting negotiations that remained hidden from public view until the Financial Times published its investigation in January 2026. The requested sum dwarfs typical referendum costs, suggesting the separatists envision substantial financial commitments extending far beyond a simple vote. The timing coincides suspiciously with President Trump’s repeated public statements about wanting to annex Canada as America’s 51st state, creating a context where provincial separatists might reasonably expect American support for dismantling their northern neighbor.

Who Wants Alberta Out and Why It Matters

The Alberta Prosperity Project represents a far-right faction seeking to leverage the province’s immense oil and gas wealth as justification for independence. Alberta produces the majority of Canada’s petroleum resources, making it economically significant to both Canadian unity and American energy interests. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has publicly acknowledged Alberta’s resource wealth and suggested US pipelines could benefit from the province’s oil. Yet this separatist movement remains deeply unpopular among Albertans themselves. The Alberta Forever Canada counter-petition opposing independence gathered 438,568 signatures, demonstrating substantial public commitment to remaining Canadian. Even Alberta Premier Danielle Smith, who lowered the threshold required to trigger an independence referendum, personally opposes provincial separation. The APP requires nearly 178,000 signatures to force a referendum vote under the revised threshold.

Trump Administration Denials Ring Hollow

The Trump administration’s official response to the revelations follows a predictable pattern of plausible deniability. State Department spokespersons characterized the meetings as routine engagement with civil society groups, claiming no commitments were made. White House officials echoed this messaging, insisting administration representatives meet with numerous organizations without conveying support. A source familiar with Treasury Secretary Bessent’s thinking stated neither he nor other Treasury officials knew about any credit facility proposal. These denials might seem reassuring except for one glaring problem: the meetings actually happened, repeatedly, over nine months. The administration allowed APP representatives multiple opportunities to present their case for dismantling Canada while simultaneously claiming ignorance of their specific requests. This creates the worst possible diplomatic scenario where foreign separatists believe they have American support while the administration maintains official innocence.

Canadian Leaders Draw a Clear Line

Prime Minister Mark Carney delivered an unambiguous message after the Financial Times report: the United States must respect Canadian sovereignty. Carney emphasized he consistently communicates this expectation directly to President Trump, noting Trump never raised Alberta separatism in their conversations. British Columbia Premier David Eby took a harder line, reviving language rarely heard in modern Canadian politics. He called the APP’s approach to foreign powers “treason,” arguing that while Canadians possess rights to free expression and referendum votes, seeking foreign assistance to break up Canada crosses a fundamental boundary. Eby’s use of such charged terminology reflects the seriousness with which Canadian leaders view this interference. The varying responses from Canadian officials demonstrate a unified position against separatism despite different rhetorical approaches. Even Alberta’s provincial government, which enabled the referendum process, publicly stated the overwhelming majority of Albertans oppose becoming an American state.

What Happens When Nations Meddle in Neighbors’ Unity

The international implications of American officials meeting with Canadian separatists extend beyond immediate diplomatic tensions. Historically, great powers supporting separatist movements in neighboring countries creates dangerous precedents that undermine global stability. If the United States provides financial backing to Alberta separatists, other nations could justify similar interference in American affairs, potentially supporting separatist movements in Texas, California, or other states with regional grievances. The economic consequences of prolonged uncertainty about Alberta’s political status could discourage investment in the province’s crucial energy sector, affecting North American energy markets broadly. Indigenous communities throughout Alberta face particular uncertainty, as changes in governance structures could fundamentally alter their relationships with government authorities and resource extraction policies. The APP plans to continue pursuing meetings with Treasury Department officials in February 2026, suggesting this diplomatic crisis will intensify before it resolves.