It wonsa国际传媒檛 be campaigning as usual for Justin Trudeau Thursday as the Liberal leader grapples with the fallout from a bombshell that landed on the campaign trail.
An 18-year-old photo surfaced Wednesday of him dressed elaborately as Aladdin, with his face and hands blackened by makeup.
Trudeau apologized profusely for having indulged in what he acknowledged to be a racist act during an sa国际传媒淎rabian Nightssa国际传媒�-themed party at the Vancouver private school where he once taught.
He conceded it will take some doing to restore his image as a champion of diversity and tolerance.
sa国际传媒淚sa国际传媒檓 asking Canadians to forgive me for what I did,sa国际传媒� he said during an emergency news conference aboard the Liberal campaign plane before taking off from Nova Scotia for Winnipeg, where he is scheduled to have events today.
sa国际传媒淚 shouldnsa国际传媒檛 have done that. It was a dumb thing to do. Isa国际传媒檓 disappointed in myself. Isa国际传媒檓 pissed off at myself for having done it. I apologize for it.sa国际传媒�
He added that he didnsa国际传媒檛 consider it a racist action at the time, sa国际传媒渂ut now we know better.sa国际传媒�
sa国际传媒淭his is something unacceptable and it is racist.sa国际传媒�
ALSO READ: sa国际传媒業 shouldnsa国际传媒檛 have done it,sa国际传媒� Trudeau says of brownface photo
Trudeau also confessed to having worn makeup during a high school talent show, while performing a version of Harry Belafontesa国际传媒檚 sa国际传媒淏anana Boat Song (Day-O).sa国际传媒�
He said hesa国际传媒檒l spend this morning talking to his three kids about sa国际传媒渢aking responsibility for mistakes we make, about living every day to try to be a better person.sa国际传媒� And he said hesa国际传媒檒l be spending time talking to visible minority Liberal MPs and candidates, some of whom he spoke with Wednesday evening.
Trudeausa国际传媒檚 foes will no doubt also be grappling with the fallout while they go about their more routine campaigning. They all responded Wednesday night, but now have to weigh whether to pile on Trudeau or adhere to the political maxim of never interfering when an opponent is the process of destroying themselves.
NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh, the first federal party leader from a visible minority, is scheduled to be in Hamilton today. On Wednesday night, he responded more personally than politically, choking up as he talked about how people who have faced discrimination because of their skin colour will be hurt by the revelation about Trudeausa国际传媒檚 past activities.
Conservative Leader Andrew Scheer spoke only briefly after landing in Quebec, where he has events today in Saint-Hyacinthe, Granby and Sherbrooke, but signalled that he intends to give no quarter.
sa国际传媒淲earing brown face is an act of open mockery and racism,sa国际传媒� Scheer said. sa国际传媒滻t was just as racist in 2001 as it is in 2019. And what Canadians saw this evening is someone with a complete lack of judgment and integrity and someone who is not fit to govern this country.sa国际传媒�
Throughout the first week of the campaign, the Liberal war room has made hay with past comments and social media posts from Scheer and Conservative candidates, exposing what Liberals deem examples of intolerance toward minorities. Trudeau himself has called out Scheer for his refusal to march in gay Pride parades.
On Twitter late Wednesday, Peoplesa国际传媒檚 Party Leader Maxime Bernier said he wonsa国际传媒檛 accuse Trudeau of being a racist.
sa国际传媒淗esa国际传媒檚 the master of identity politics and the Libs just spent months accusing everyone of being white supremacists,sa国际传媒� he tweeted. sa国际传媒滺e definitely is the biggest hypocrite in the country.sa国际传媒�
Isa国际传媒檓 not going to accuse of being a racist.
sa国际传媒� Maxime Bernier (@MaximeBernier)
But hesa国际传媒檚 the master of identity politics and the Libs just spent months accusing everyone of being white supremacists.
He definitely is the biggest hypocrite in the country.
Green Leader Elizabeth May, who is to speak to the British Columbia Assembly of First Nations today in Vancouver, said Trudeau sa国际传媒漨ust apologize for the harm done and commit to learning and appreciating the requirement to model social justice leadership at all levels of government. In this matter he has failed.sa国际传媒�
https://twitter.com/ElizabethMay/status/1174475014587998210
The Canadian Press
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