The Trump administration reportedly held a series of private meetings in Washington with leaders tied to an Alberta separatist effort as U.S.-Canada relations continue to cool.

Representatives of the Alberta Prosperity Project (APP) — a separatist group seeking independence for Canada's oil-rich province — met with U.S. State Department officials three times since April of last year, people familiar with the talks told the Financial Times.

The group is now pursuing another meeting next month with State and Treasury officials, with plans to request a $500 billion credit facility to help bankroll Alberta if an independence referendum passes, though no vote has been called yet.

"The U.S. is extremely enthusiastic about a free and independent Alberta," Jeff Rath, APP legal counsel who attended the meetings, told the Times.

Rath said he had a "much stronger relationship" with the Trump administration than Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney.

But U.S. officials downplayed the significance of the contacts.

"The department regularly meets with civil society types," a State Department spokesperson told the Times. "As is typical in routine meetings such as these, no commitments were made."

A White House official added, "Administration officials meet with a number of civil society groups. No such support, or any other commitments, was conveyed."

A person familiar with Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent's thinking said neither he nor other Treasury officials were aware of any credit facility proposal and did not plan to engage. The person added that no senior Treasury official had received a request for a meeting.

The reported meetings come as tensions between Washington and Ottawa continue to rise. President Donald Trump and Carney clashed last week after the Canadian premier said Washington was creating a "rupture" in the world order.

People familiar with the U.S. position told the Times Washington was unlikely to provide material support to the separatists, but the outreach underscores friction with Carney's government.

Carlo Dade of the Canada West Foundation called the separatist leaders "attention seekers," adding, "Americans are more than happy to continue to play Canadians off each other."

Bessent fueled excitement among separatists during an interview last week, calling Alberta "a natural partner for the U.S."

"The Albertans are very independent people," he told podcaster Jack Posobiec. "[There is a] rumor that they may have a referendum on whether they want to stay in Canada or not."

Even without clear momentum, the talks are likely to intensify concerns in Canada about U.S. involvement in domestic politics.

"We're seeing evidence of foreign interference," Gil McGowan, president of the Alberta Federation of Labour, told the Times, citing social media advertising, online bots, and pro-MAGA influencer messaging. "It doesn't feel organic; we are being targeted by the MAGA crowd."

The office of Canada's trade minister, Dominic LeBlanc, pushed back on separatist narratives and emphasized Ottawa's approach to Alberta.

"Alberta is an essential partner in our federation," LeBlanc's spokesperson told the outlet. "[The] government is engaged in renewing the Canada-Alberta relationship based on common objectives and respect for each other's jurisdiction."

Rath declined to identify who the APP met with in Washington but claimed the meetings were with senior figures.

"We're meeting very, very senior people [who are] leaving our meetings to go directly to the Oval Office," he said.

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