Poilievre blasts Trudeau over hypocritical statements calling Canadians racist

Conservative Finance Critic Pierre Poilievre pointed out the hypocrisy in Justin Trudeau's controversial statements from the campaign trail, asking if the prime minister was intentionally trying to "foment division for political advantage."

"After spending half his adult life habitually dressing up in grotesque racist costumes, Trudeau calls people he doesn’t even know 'racist' and intolerant," wrote Poilievre. "[Trudeau] then asks: 'should we tolerate those people?' Is he deliberately trying to foment division for political advantage?"

The video in question is of Trudeau on the La Demaine des 4 Julie on September 17 during the 2021 federal election campaign.

In the interview, Trudeau said that "there are people who are opposed to vaccines, that don't believe in science, that are often misogynists, racist."

Trudeau went on to say that this was "a small group, and so we have to make a choice, as a leader, as a country. do we tolerate these people? because over 80 percent of people have already done their part."

The prime minister, however, has his own history with accusations of racism and sexism.

During the 2019 federal election, Trudeau's political reputation took a massive blow after it was discovered that he had worn blackface numerous times.

In August of 2000, Trudeau, who was 28 at the time, allegedly groped former journalist Rose Knight at the Kokanee Summit in Creston, BC. "I issue this statement reluctantly, in response to mounting media pressure to confirm that I was the reporter who was the subject of the Open Eyes editorial, published in the Creston Valley Advance in August of 2000," wrote Knight to the CBC.

"The incident referred to in the editorial did occur, as reported. Mr. Trudeau did apologize the next day. I did not pursue the incident at the time and will not be pursuing the incident further. I have had no subsequent contact with Mr. Trudeau, before or after he became Prime Minister." She added: "The debate, if it continues, will continue without my involvement,"