U.S. Ambassador to Canada Pete Hoekstra says the Trump administration has not met with or coordinated with Alberta separatist groups, rejecting claims that American officials have been involved in discussions about Alberta’s independence.
Speaking to Global News, Hoekstra said the U.S. government is “not meeting with the separatists and strategizing this at all,” dismissing allegations made by leaders of the Alberta Prosperity Project.
The comments contradict reports and public statements from Alberta Prosperity Project leader Jeffery Rath, who has claimed his group met several times with U.S. officials in Washington, including Treasury Department representatives, to discuss the possibility of a US$500-billion line of credit for an independent Alberta.
Hoekstra said he was unaware of any such discussions, adding that separatist groups are free to “say whatever they want.”
When asked whether the Trump administration wants Alberta to remain part of Canada, Hoekstra declined to take a position, saying the issue is for Albertans and the Canadian federal government to decide.
“That’s the president’s call,” he said, adding that Washington does not intend to intervene in the province’s future.
The ambassador also suggested he does not expect any directive from President Donald Trump or Secretary of State Marco Rubio instructing him to campaign either for or against Alberta separation ahead of the province’s planned referendum.
His comments contrast with the approach taken by former U.S. President Bill Clinton, who publicly backed a united Canada during Quebec’s 1995 sovereignty referendum.
Hoekstra also downplayed earlier remarks by U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, who described Alberta as a “natural partner” for the United States earlier this year, saying politicians on both sides of the border frequently comment on each other’s domestic affairs.
