When Separatists Get a Welcome in Washington
Trade disputes and Political disagreements happen. But when figures connected to Canadian separatist movement gets invitations of the border, Canadians should stop arguing and start asking questions.
When Separatists Get a Welcome in Washington
Trade wars are supposed to be about money.
Tariffs. Markets. Jobs. Supply chains.
Lately, though, something else has crept into the picture.
Politics.
Not American politics.
Canadian politics.
The latest example involves convoy organizer Tamara Lich, who is seeking court permission to travel to Washington while serving a sentence under court-imposed conditions.
According to court filings, Rebel News founder Ezra Levant says she has been invited to conduct journalism in the United States and that officials at the U.S. Embassy are prepared to assist.
On its own, that’s a news story.
What makes it worth paying attention to is the broader context.
Lich has long been associated with Western separatist politics, including early involvement in the Wexit movement and the Maverick Party before becoming one of the most recognizable faces of the Ottawa convoy.
That raises an uncomfortable question.
Why are people connected to movements advocating the breakup of Canada attracting interest in Washington during one of the most strained periods in Canada-U.S. relations in decades?
I’m not claiming there’s a secret plot.
I’m saying it’s a question Canadians shouldn’t dismiss.
Because this isn’t happening in isolation.
The Trump administration has repeatedly portrayed Canada as an unfair trading partner.
Peter Navarro has accused Canadian negotiators of dishonesty while defending tariffs that reached everything from industrial goods to hockey equipment.
When a government publicly pressures another country economically while maintaining relationships with people who favour weakening that country’s unity, it’s reasonable to wonder what message is being sent.
The story doesn’t end there.
In Alberta, Transportation Minister Devon Dreeshen was repeatedly asked whether he would personally vote to keep Alberta in Canada if a separation referendum occurred.
He declined to answer directly.
Instead, he emphasized Albertans’ right to hold a referendum without ever stating how he himself would vote.
Readers can draw their own conclusions.
Another fact deserves attention.
Before entering Alberta politics, Dreeshen spent months working on Donald Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign.
That’s public record.
Former Alberta Premier Jason Kenney defended the experience at the time, arguing it gave Alberta someone with useful contacts inside Washington.
Maybe that’s all it is.
Maybe it isn’t.
Either way, Canadians should be paying attention.
Because history teaches us that countries don’t always rely only on economic pressure when pursuing their interests.
Sometimes influence works through relationships.
Sometimes it works through ideas.
Sometimes it works by encouraging divisions that already exist.
None of that requires a conspiracy.
It simply requires people willing to take advantage of existing cracks.
Canada has political disagreements.
Every democracy does.
But those disagreements belong to Canadians.
Not Washington.
Whether you’re Liberal, Conservative, NDP, Bloc, Green… or someone who doesn’t trust any of them… there should be one principle most of us can agree on.
Canada’s future should be decided in Canada.
Not nudged from somewhere else.
Trade disputes will eventually end.
Political influence campaigns have a habit of lasting much longer.
The smartest response isn’t panic.
It isn’t outrage.
It’s vigilance.
When foreign political interests begin showing unusual interest in people advocating fundamental changes to your country, that’s not automatically proof of interference.
But it is a reason to start asking better questions.
That’s how democracies stay healthy.
Not by assuming the worst.
But by refusing to stop paying attention.
The Recap…
Trade disputes are expected.
Political courtship is something else.
When figures connected to Canadian separatism begin attracting attention in Washington, Canadians don’t need conspiracy theories.
We need better questions.
The Gut-Punch…
A country’s borders aren’t only defended by soldiers.
Sometimes they’re defended by citizens willing to notice when someone else starts taking an unusual interest in what’s happening inside them.
Source Credit:
Research based on a July 2026 YouTube transcript discussing Tamara Lich’s travel request, Alberta separatism, Devon Dreeshen’s public comments, Peter Navarro’s remarks on Canada, and related public reporting.
Facts extracted from the user-provided transcript; analysis and opinions are original.
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Tamara Lich is supposed to be on house arrest. She should be forced to stay in her house,in Canada. When her house arrest is served and she is free to go wherever she wants, she should f.ck right off and join all the other delusional maple maga fascists in the usa.Canada deserves better citizens than her and her traitorous goons.
Fred, another terrific and timely article. I certainly hope that Ms. Lich is not granted freedom (pun intended) to travel south. When her house arrest is over, she should permanently move to the US to join up with undoubtedly the corruptest regime ever. Words cannot describe the contempt that I have for Trump and his enablers.
I always check out your Substack articles first, but I do follow Dean Blundell, Zev Shalev, Mary Trump, and Heather Delaney Reese, among others. What is going on in the States is unbelievable, truly disgusting, and disheartening.