New photo of Justin Trudeau in blackface at Arabian Nights party emerges

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Yet another image of Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in blackface at the 2001 Arabian Nights party – this time in color – has emerged just in time for the Canadian Federal Election. 

The photo, released on Sunday by Canadian Proud, shows the liberal icon in a turban and robe, with his tongue sticking out. The world leader has also covered his face with dark makeup. 

The latest insensitive image of the Canadian Prime Minister, who has a checkered history of blackface, has been slammed as a national embarrassment and Trudeau branded a ‘clown’ by many online.   

Trudeau’s latest controversy comes as BIPOC leaders and feminist activists continue to pick apart his once-pristine image. 

The self-proclaiming feminist who once took a knee during a Black Lives Matters protest after the death of George Floyd, is now being deemed a ‘fake.’   

Others were quick to point out that Trudeau was not a kid but was 29 and a teacher when he attended the Arabian Nights even in 2001.

Photos of the event first emerged in 2019 – prompting outrage and an apology from Trudeau – but this is the first time a color image from the party has been released.

It’s the latest scandal to tarnish Trudeau’s ‘woke’ brand.

Once the left’s liberal darling, the prime minister’s blackface scandal and his handling of the thousands of First Nations unmarked graves at former residential school sites has triggered a powerful backlash against the 49-year-old. 

The release of this never-before-seen picture was timed for the biggest impact on Trudeau who has gambled on an early election in a bid to win a majority of seats in Parliament. Voting begins today and the opposition has been relentless in accusing Trudeau of calling an unnecessary early vote during the pandemic – two years before the deadline – for his own personal ambition

Now his opponents are quick to point to the embarrassment Trudeau has caused to his country.

‘I knew, even as a kid, that this type of behaviour was wrong. So, he was either completely ignorant or simply did not care. Terrible,’ Twitter user Jason Rose wrote. 

‘Canada about to become the laughing stock of the world by re-electing this Clown face. Can we be that stupid?!’ fellow Twitter user Henry Rasmussen added.

Many simply called for everyone to ‘vote him out’.

Yet many on the other side of the fence, appeared to be supporting the disgraced politician.

Several pointed out that the photo was 20 years old and that Trudeau had apologized when other images from the event emerged in 2019.

Conservatives were quick to point out hypocrisy, saying that liberals would be quick to ‘cancel’ anyone on the right for the same behavior.

‘It’s equally weird seeing people apologize for blatant racism – especially people who would not allow the same tolerance to anyone else. For me, that sort of thing is a red line – regardless of affiliation,’ Dylan Barrons tweeted.

Another user added: ‘I am not a Conservative, but everyone time a Justin Trudeau photo of him wearing #blackface comes out, I just can’t understand how he was never held accountable by the party, party members and supporters.’ 

Trudeau has not yet commented on the latest picture. 

But in September 2019, he apologized for wearing blackface at the Arabian Nights party and also referred to a high school incident where he dressed up as Harry Belafonte to sing the Jamaican song Day-O. A video also emerged around this time of Trudeau in blackface at a separate event. 

Trudeau said his behavior had been ‘unacceptable’ and that he has enjoyed ‘layers of privilege’ in his life. He also  said he took ‘full responsibility’ for the scandal.

He asked for forgiveness but would not confirm that those three incidents were the only times in his life he had worn blackface.

‘What I did hurt them, hurt people who shouldn’t have to face intolerance and bigotry because of their identity. 

‘This is something that I deeply, deeply regret,’ Trudeau said. 

‘Darkening your face, regardless of the context or the circumstances, is always unacceptable because of the racist history of blackface.  

‘I should have understood that then and I never should have done it,’ he said.  

Trudeau went on: ‘When we reflect on mistakes we made in the past, we’re always going to be asking why did we do that? 

‘It wasn’t a good idea, it was a terrible idea. It was something that minimizes and takes advantage of a reality that I have not had to live with – of being discriminated against, being marginalized for the color of my skin.

‘I come from a place of privilege. I have to recognize that I let a lot of people down and I stand here today to reflect on that and ask for forgiveness.’ 

In the earliest photograph, Trudeau is dressed up as Jamaican singer Harry Belafonte to sing Day-O, a Jamaican song, at Jean Brebeuf High School at a talent show. He graduated from the school in the early 1990s. 

The video, which is undated but was given to Global News, shows him with a black face and raising his arms and sticking his tongue out while dressed in a white t-shirt and jeans.  

In a press conference held on his campaign plane, he acknowledged that the Arabian Nights photo was racist and said he should have known better. 

‘I’m p***ed off at myself, I’m disappointed in myself,’ he said.  

He also mentioned the high school photo before it emerged, saying: ‘When I was in high school I dressed up at a talent show and sang ‘Day-O’ with makeup on.’  

Trudeau said the brownface photo was taken at an end of year gala where the theme was Arabian Nights and he dressed up in an Aladdin costume. 

‘I should have known better then but I didn’t, and I am deeply sorry for it,’ he said. 

‘I shouldn’t have done that. I take responsibility for it. It was a dumb thing to do.’  

‘These are the situations I regret deeply,’ he said. 

Trudeau said it was a racist act but he didn’t realize it at the time and that he knows better now.  

He acknowledged that he had ‘always been more enthusiastic about costumes than is sometimes appropriate’. 

During a recent debate during Canada’s national election, Green Party Leader Annamie Paul – the first black woman to head a federal party in Canada – questioned Trudeau’s progressive image. 

‘I do not believe that Mr. Trudeau is a real feminist,’ said Paul. ‘A feminist doesn’t continue to push strong women out of his party when they are just seeking to serve.’

Paul was referring to the prime minister’s falling out former justice minister and attorney general Jody Wilson-Raybould, who is native American, and his former parliamentary secretary Celina Caesar-Chavannes, who is black. 

This isn’t the only time Trudeau’s allegiance to minorities has been questioned. 

As First Nations began confirming discoveries of unmarked graves of children at former residential school sites, Trudeau denied taking residential school survivors to court – causing anger among Indigenous groups.

People also criticized his Quebec’s Bill 21, which forbids anyone wearing religious garb from working in public sector jobs, as ‘discriminatory.’ Trudeau has previously said he doesn’t support it, despite refusing to describe it.   

Trudeau also hasn’t strengthened hate crime laws following the 2017 Quebec mosque massacre, nor has he acted on a national anti-hate strategy despite his platform promising action on both. 

Before he was prime minister, Trudeau worked at the private school before entering politics and at the same time his father Pierre Trudeau was Canada’s Prime Minister. 

Trudeau taught French, among other classes, when he was a teacher at the private school where tuition is about $23,000 a year. He left his teaching position there after spring in 2001. 

Trudeau, who has been in power since 2015, is facing a tough re-election battle. 

Canadians began voting Monday in an election that that threatens to knock Trudeau from power.

Polls indicate Trudeau´s Liberal Party is in a tight race with the rival Conservatives: It will likely win the most seats in Parliament.

However, if Trudeau wins reelection, his party will still fail to get a majority, forcing it to rely on an opposition party to pass legislation.

Polling stations opened first in the Atlantic coast province of Newfoundland.

‘Trudeau made an incredibly stupid error in judgement,’ said Robert Bothwell, a professor of Canadian history and international relations at the University of Toronto.

Trudeau entered the election leading a stable minority government that wasn’t under threat of being toppled.  

The opposition has been relentless in accusing Trudeau of calling the early vote – two years before the deadline – for his own personal ambition. 

Trudeau channeled the star power of his father, the Liberal icon and late Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau, when he first won in 2015, but a combination of high expectations, scandal and calling the election last month during the pandemic have hurt his brand.

Trudeau is betting that Canadians will reward him for navigating the coronavirus crisis better than most countries did. 

Canada is now one of the most vaccinated nations in the world and Trudeau´s government spent hundreds of billions of dollars to prop up the economy amid lockdowns.