President Trump has been trolling the Canadian government hard as of late about making Canada a new state; at least, we think he's trolling… But his rhetoric has become more intense in recent days, with him claiming on Tuesday that he would acquire Canada by "economic force." He stated this in response to a question wherein he was asked if he would use military force.

Well, it is unlikely that the Donald is serious about making Canada a new state, but for the sake of it, let's consider what that would mean and what it would take to make it a reality.

Off the bat, would it be a huge mistake for Trump—a Republican—to absorb Canada as a state and therefore give Canadians voting rights? Wouldn't this just mean America would have another "California"?

Now, Canadians are not nearly as liberal and socialist across the board as many Americans think. Yes, Justin Trudeau has been in power for a while, and he has ushered in some insane left-wing policies. But Americans need to know that the Liberals do not have the popular vote, which belongs to the Conservatives. And, we have a multiparty system not unlike European systems, so, often, the party in power is there for reasons that are more strategically mathematical and with the help of coalitions with other parties. Just like in the United States, there are "red" states and "blue" states—metaphorically, of course, because we don't have states —albeit the colors are reverse up here.

Canada, in my opinion, would not be another California, meaning a Democrat stronghold, but more like a swing state that is more fickle than fixed. Furthermore, the Conservatives are predicted by every poll and expert imaginable to achieve perhaps the greatest landslide in history in the next election, and the policies espoused by our right-leaning party are not wholly different than the current Republican platform; it is all "Canada first" and about cleaning up the border, lowering taxes, and "drill baby drill." I think many Americans would be surprised at what Canada is really like politically if they were to do a deep dive.

That being said, I can't see it being worth the risk, as far as elections are concerned, for Trump to truly desire a Canadian state because Canadians are largely patriotic, and the vast majority do not want to become American. So, I imagine a takeover would sour the Republican brand in the minds of Canucks for a generation. Not a good idea.

We should also consider if a peaceful—that is, legal—takeover of Canada is even possible, let alone probable.

Canada is a sovereign nation with a functioning government, a currency, a military, etc. There is no easy "process" to simply acquire another nation, and that process certainly doesn't exist here. The closest civil or legal process that could even be hypothesized about how Trump could make Canada American would involve the potentiality for Canadian provinces to achieve sovereignty, which is technically possible. However, not even Quebec was able to get enough votes in a referendum to do that the two times they tried, and there has historically been a strong separatist sentiment in Quebec. As far as the idea of joining the U.S. is concerned, we are not talking only about secession but joining a new nation.