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New Video Surfaces Showing Trudeau in Blackface, Compounding Scandal New Video Surfaces Showing Trudeau in Blackface, Compounding Scandal
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Revelations that Prime Minister Justin Trudeau of Canada has dressed up in brownface and blackface on multiple occasions have rocked his re-election campaign, reinforcing a narrative that has dogged him throughout his political career: that he isn’t really who he portrays himself to be.Revelations that Prime Minister Justin Trudeau of Canada has dressed up in brownface and blackface on multiple occasions have rocked his re-election campaign, reinforcing a narrative that has dogged him throughout his political career: that he isn’t really who he portrays himself to be.
Mr. Trudeau has long cast himself as a glittering spokesman for the world’s beleaguered liberals, standing up to President Trump, supporting gender and Indigenous rights, welcoming immigrants, and fighting climate change and racism.Mr. Trudeau has long cast himself as a glittering spokesman for the world’s beleaguered liberals, standing up to President Trump, supporting gender and Indigenous rights, welcoming immigrants, and fighting climate change and racism.
But that carefully calibrated image suffered a major blow this week when photos and a video emerged of the prime minister dressing up as racist caricatures in the early 1990s and in 2001.But that carefully calibrated image suffered a major blow this week when photos and a video emerged of the prime minister dressing up as racist caricatures in the early 1990s and in 2001.
One showed him at an “Arabian Nights” party, dressed up as Aladdin in brownface makeup and a turban, his arms wrapped around a woman. The picture was taken while Mr. Trudeau was 29 and teaching at a school in Vancouver, British Columbia.One showed him at an “Arabian Nights” party, dressed up as Aladdin in brownface makeup and a turban, his arms wrapped around a woman. The picture was taken while Mr. Trudeau was 29 and teaching at a school in Vancouver, British Columbia.
While apologizing for that image at an appearance on Wednesday night, Mr. Trudeau also admitted to dressing up in blackface while performing “Day-O,” the Jamaican folk song, in high school.While apologizing for that image at an appearance on Wednesday night, Mr. Trudeau also admitted to dressing up in blackface while performing “Day-O,” the Jamaican folk song, in high school.
Then, on Thursday morning, more damaging material surfaced. Mr. Trudeau’s campaign spokeswoman, Zita Astravas, confirmed that a video posted by GlobalNews, a Canada-based news organization, showed the prime minister in the early 1990s dressed in blackface and an Afro wig. In the video, he is waving his hands around and sticking out his tongue.Then, on Thursday morning, more damaging material surfaced. Mr. Trudeau’s campaign spokeswoman, Zita Astravas, confirmed that a video posted by GlobalNews, a Canada-based news organization, showed the prime minister in the early 1990s dressed in blackface and an Afro wig. In the video, he is waving his hands around and sticking out his tongue.
And the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation posted another photo from the 2001 “Arabian Nights” party. In it, Mr. Trudeau, again in brownface and wearing a turban, has his arms around two Sikh men.And the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation posted another photo from the 2001 “Arabian Nights” party. In it, Mr. Trudeau, again in brownface and wearing a turban, has his arms around two Sikh men.
The disclosure of these episodes come only a few months after accusations surfaced that Mr. Trudeau had bullied his former justice minister and attorney general, an Indigenous woman, while pressing her to settle corruption charges against a major Quebec engineering company. When she didn’t comply, she accused him of demoting her. The new disclosures come only a few months after accusations surfaced that Mr. Trudeau had bullied his former justice minister and attorney general, an Indigenous woman, while pressing her to settle corruption charges against a major Quebec engineering company. When she didn’t comply, she accused him of demoting her.
“Justin Trudeau has carefully crafted an image of what Canadians aspire to: hope, openness to the world and youth,” said Jean-Marc Léger, chief executive of Léger, a leading polling company in Montreal. “The blackface episode shatters that perfect image and casts questions on his authenticity.”“Justin Trudeau has carefully crafted an image of what Canadians aspire to: hope, openness to the world and youth,” said Jean-Marc Léger, chief executive of Léger, a leading polling company in Montreal. “The blackface episode shatters that perfect image and casts questions on his authenticity.”
Nevertheless, he said, Canadians were a “forgiving people” and predicted that Mr. Trudeau, who on Wednesday night apologized repeatedly for behavior that had taken place nearly two decades ago, could still recover.Nevertheless, he said, Canadians were a “forgiving people” and predicted that Mr. Trudeau, who on Wednesday night apologized repeatedly for behavior that had taken place nearly two decades ago, could still recover.
On Wednesday night Mr. Trudeau said he was “deeply sorry” about the episode, which he said was “something I shouldn’t have done many years ago.” “This is something I shouldn’t have done many years ago,” Mr. Trudeau said. “It was something that I didn’t think was racist at the time, but now I recognize it was something racist to do, and I am deeply sorry.”
He added, “It was something that I didn’t think was racist at the time, but now I recognize it was something racist to do.”
Nik Nanos, the founder of Nanos Research, an Ottawa polling firm, said that finding a way back, while not impossible, will be very difficult for Mr. Trudeau and his Liberal Party.Nik Nanos, the founder of Nanos Research, an Ottawa polling firm, said that finding a way back, while not impossible, will be very difficult for Mr. Trudeau and his Liberal Party.
“This is about as bad news as you can get in a campaign,” he said. “The Liberals have to find a way to change the channel.”“This is about as bad news as you can get in a campaign,” he said. “The Liberals have to find a way to change the channel.”
Mr. Nanos runs nightly polls and said that recently — even before this incident — he found that the support for Mr. Trudeau’s principal opponent the Conservatives and their leader, Andrew Scheer, started inching upward after that party began running attack ads suggesting that the prime minister was “not as advertised.” Mr. Trudeau’s principal opponents are the Conservatives and their leader, Andrew Scheer. According to the nightly polls Mr. Nanos runs, support for Mr. Scheer started inching upward recently, even before this incident. The increase came after Conservatives began running attack ads suggesting that the prime minister was “not as advertised.”
“The Justin Trudeau revelation is a validation of the Conservative attack,” Mr. Nanos said.“The Justin Trudeau revelation is a validation of the Conservative attack,” Mr. Nanos said.
”Right now the election is about Justin Trudeau,” Mr. Nanos added. “And in my experience, the person an election is about loses.””Right now the election is about Justin Trudeau,” Mr. Nanos added. “And in my experience, the person an election is about loses.”
In many ways Mr. Trudeau has a strong hand as the Oct. 21 national election approaches. Canada’s economy is vibrant, with unemployment at historic lows. His move to bring in 25,000 Syrian refugees was widely acclaimed and his government introduced several pioneering policies including legalizing recreational marijuana and assisted dying.In many ways Mr. Trudeau has a strong hand as the Oct. 21 national election approaches. Canada’s economy is vibrant, with unemployment at historic lows. His move to bring in 25,000 Syrian refugees was widely acclaimed and his government introduced several pioneering policies including legalizing recreational marijuana and assisted dying.
His cabinet, made up half of women and including four Sikhs and a Somali-born immigration minister, has also come to embody a country that prides itself on its multiculturalism and inclusiveness.His cabinet, made up half of women and including four Sikhs and a Somali-born immigration minister, has also come to embody a country that prides itself on its multiculturalism and inclusiveness.
But he has been taken to task for seeming inconsistent with his image. Even as he proposed a national carbon tax, for example, following through on his promises to fight climate change, he used $4.5 billion in government money to buy an oil pipeline.But he has been taken to task for seeming inconsistent with his image. Even as he proposed a national carbon tax, for example, following through on his promises to fight climate change, he used $4.5 billion in government money to buy an oil pipeline.
Others complain that he is an Instagram prime minister, too fixated on image and optics at the expense of implementing policy.Others complain that he is an Instagram prime minister, too fixated on image and optics at the expense of implementing policy.
“Everything the prime minister does is a calculation about his image,” said Nicola Di Iorio, who recently stepped down as a Liberal member of parliament of a multicultural district in Montreal. “There are too many gimmicks.”“Everything the prime minister does is a calculation about his image,” said Nicola Di Iorio, who recently stepped down as a Liberal member of parliament of a multicultural district in Montreal. “There are too many gimmicks.”
The disclosure of the blackface and brownface photos amplifies his image disconnect. He may have one of the most diverse cabinets in the world but the photos call into question whether he is all surface. Mr. Trudeau, a talented campaigner with the fighting spirit of an amateur boxer, is used to being underestimated — and overcoming obstacles. During the last election, in 2015, his conservative rivals mocked him as an immature celebrity with nice hair. “Not ready,” was their slogan.
But he presented himself as a changemaker after a decade of leadership under the dependable but dour conservative prime minister, Stephen Harper. He went on to give Liberals a stunning victory, expanding the party’s number of seats in the House of Commons from 36 to 184.
He maintained his popularity for much of his term, even as critics in understated Canada complained that his colorful socks, gravity-defying yoga poses, frequent apologies for historical wrongs and frequent bouts of tears sometimes gave the appearance of an actor playing a prime minister rather than him actually being one.
Mr. Trudeau is a former snowboard instructor and bouncer who also taught acting and once played a French Canadian war hero in a 2007 CBC television movie about World War I.
On a disastrous state trip to India last year, he attracted ridicule for wearing, along with his family members, flashy traditional Indian clothing supposedly as a sign of respect for Indian culture. In Canada, though, which has a large immigrant community from India, he was criticized for cultural appropriation and widely mocked.
Then there was Mr. Trudeau’s success at fending off Mr. Trump’s domineering handshake during a visit to the White House in February 2017.
While Mr. Trump’s aggressive yank and pull handshake is a test of endurance that has destabilized many world leaders, Mr. Trudeau’s body language was dubbed on Twitter “the biggest display of dominance in the history of Canada.”
Mr. Trudeau later acknowledged that he and Gerald Butts, his top political adviser and close friend, had strategized about the handshake on the plane to Washington.
Mr. Trudeau’s many supporters say that optics matter a great deal in the era of Facebook, and that Mr. Trudeau success at making Canada punch above its weight on the global stage was underappreciated at home.
In an interview before the images emerged, Anna Gainey, the former president of the Liberal party and a major architect of Mr. Trudeau’s political rise, said “That handshake — the image of that handshake — if you ask people what they remember of the past four years that’s something they remember.”
In February Mr. Trudeau weathered a serious crisis when he faced the accusations of bullying by his justice minister and attorney general, Jody Wilson-Raybould.
He and his mostly male staff had tried to persuade her to allow SNC-Lavalin to resolve corruption charges with a hefty fine rather than a criminal conviction. The prime minister said he acted out of concern over the job losses that would occur at the company if it was criminally convicted and lost out on government work.
But a broad perception emerged that he had ganged up on an Indigenous woman, clashing with his image as a self-proclaimed feminist and champion of minorities who promised a new “sunny” and collaborative approach to politics.
In the summer, he and his party began recovering from that scandal, and the Liberals have been running neck-and-neck with the Conservatives in polling.
Now, however, with just weeks to go before the election, the photograph of him in a turban with his face covered in brown makeup is being replayed over and over again on news channels in Canada, where minorities increasingly form a large block of the population.