I don't think anyone who's paying attention is worried about some thread of absorption. Trump was making fun of Trudeau when he was saying Canada wouldn't survive without the US's help.

Time and time again throughout history, bold-face, clear-as-day threats of invasion are followed by disbelief, are ignored by folks, followed by the promised invasion. Just ask France in WWII or Ukraine most recently.

I don't make a habit of ignoring major world powers when they threaten annexation, and many others who are "paying attention" don't either.

Trudeau is no longer here, those threats continue to be made, even in the _presence_ of the current leader of Canada. I don't understand how one could not take these threats seriously.

Anyone who is actually paying attention is worried. Not because it's likely, it would be absolutely rediculous. But then again many things Trump has done are obviously stupid and absolutely rediculous. Like the tarrifs. Or threatening to annex Canada. That's no laughing matter.

Actually Trump wanting to absorb Canada puts Alberta in a great position.

Canadians like to argue that no province can secede from Canada because it would be illegal but the reality is that if a referendum showed 50%+ of people in Alberta supported independence then the US would support Alberta and that’s the only thing that matters. A lot of Canadian press is wilfully ignorant of that fact.

No Alberta will have a war with its aboriginal population as they don't want to join USA.

What happens if I switch nouns so it's California joining Canada?

I don't think the "legality" of separation is a real blocker here, are you insinuating that if the Quebec referendum on its sovereignty would have succeeded that it would have remained a province because it was "illegal"?

I agree with you, but that is what the Canadian press is saying. Just look at the Andrew Coyne articles, among many others, that make this precise argument about legality of separation. And yes they also suggest that Quebec separation would’ve been illegal and not happened too.

I would not support it. I'm skeptical that many Americans would either. Would be clearly illegal and might encourage separatism in other places like the US