It’s been a turbulent few days for Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. And to make matters worse for the Liberal Party leader, he can’t seem to keep his story straight.
Canadians learned our diversity-promoting, politically correct-obsessed prime minister had the poor judgement to paint his skin black to impersonate people from other races.
He did it on several occasions. It seems like he’s something of a “blackface” enthusiast.
On Wednesday night, after Time Magazine published the story of the first incident of “blackface,” Trudeau came clean. He admitted that, as a teacher at West Point Grey Academy in Vancouver, he painted his face, neck and hands black and wore a turban to make himself look Arab. He was 29 years old at the time.
Trudeau scored points, some claimed, because he proactively admitted it was the second time he’d done the “blackface” schtick.
“When I was in high school, I dressed up … with makeup on,” he said.
“Makeup” is the new Liberal euphemism for “blackface.”
A few moments later, CTV published the photo from Trudeau’s high school yearbook. There he was, Afro and all.
Just as some Liberals began heralding Trudeau for his honesty and maturity in admitting and apologizing for his worst mistakes, we learned there were plenty more skeletons in this man’s closet.
Trudeau’s heartfelt apology on Wednesday night was not the “learning moment” he had claimed. He hadn’t fully come clean. On Thursday, Global News released a video of Trudeau, again in “blackface,” this time dancing around like a racist fool.
And so, on Thursday afternoon, Trudeau did the whole song and dance again. He marched out in front of reporters and apologized, again. This time, he blamed it all on his “privilege” and a supposed bubble that famous, rich, white Liberal men apparently live in.
Trudeau’s apology didn’t add up.
When asked why these incidents of racism were not flagged when Trudeau first ran for office for the Liberals, he said he never disclosed them. He was too embarrassed by his own stupidity.
A few minutes later, however, a reporter asked how many times he had dressed up in “blackface” over the years. Trudeau didn’t give a number. He said he couldn’t remember how many times because he never thought it was a big deal.
So which is it? Was playing “blackface” so normal to him that he lost track of how many times he did it? Or was he so embarrassed by his “blackface” episodes that he chose to omit the truth, first to the Liberal Party of Canada and then to all Canadians?
When did he have his change of heart — from wearing “blackface” without realizing it was wrong, to feeling so embarrassed about it that he lied to everyone?
Trudeau wore “blackface” to a ritzy gala in 2001. By 2003, he was a star in the Liberal Party and given the honour of hosting a tribute to outgoing Liberal Prime Minister Jean Chretien at the Liberal convention.
In 2006, he was named a chair of the Liberal youth wing, in 2007 he became a Liberal candidate and in 2008 he was elected to Parliament.
At what point in those few years did Trudeau finally realize that painting your skin black and mimicking American racists from the 1950s was not appropriate in the 2000s?
Justin Trudeau’s political career should be over. Given Trudeau’s history, however, it may take him a few decades to figure that out.
