Justin Trudeau apologized after a photo of him surfaced wearing “brownface” and a turban at a 2001 party.
![Canada’s Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, with his face and hands painted brown, poses with others during an "Arabian Nights" party when he was a 29-year-old teacher at the West Point Grey Academy in Vancouver, Canada, in this photo published in the academy’s 2000-2001 yearbook. This image, published in The View yearbook, was obtained by Time. (Reuters)](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fimg.theepochtimes.com%2Fassets%2Fuploads%2F2019%2F09%2F20%2Ftrudeau-brownface.jpg&w=1200&q=75)
“It was a dumb thing to do. I’m disappointed in myself. I’m pissed off at myself,” he added.
![Prime Minister Justin Trudeau delivers a speech before the Montreal Council on Foreign Relations in Montreal on Aug. 21, 2019. (THE CANADIAN PRESS/Paul Chiasson)](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fimg.theepochtimes.com%2Fassets%2Fuploads%2F2019%2F08%2F22%2F20190821-Justin-Trudeau-Montreal-CP-21597865-600x389.jpg&w=1200&q=75)
“I deeply regret that I did that,” said Trudeau. “I take responsibility for my decision. It was something I didn’t think was racist at the time, but now I recognize it was racist.”
The prime minister, who recently launched a reelection bid, said it wasn’t the first time he wore similar makeup.
“When I was in high school I dressed up at a talent show and sang ‘Day-O’ with makeup on,” Trudeau said.
![Prime Minister Justin Trudeau (L) at Canadian Forces Base Petawawa, Ontario, on July 15, 2019. (The Canadian Press/Sean Kilpatrick) and Conservative Leader Andrew Scheer speaks during the Maclean's/Citytv National Leaders Debate in Toronto on Sept. 12, 2019. (The Canadian Press/Frank Gunn)](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fimg.theepochtimes.com%2Fassets%2Fuploads%2F2019%2F09%2F18%2FTrudeau-Scheer-600x300.jpg&w=1200&q=75)
“I stand here before Canadians as I will throughout this campaign and talk about the work we have to do to make a better country together,” Trudeau said. “And I am going to continue to stay focused on that and continue to work to fight intolerance and discrimination, even though obviously I made a mistake in the past.”
Scheer pounced on Trudeau after the photo was posted.
He said, “Like all Canadians, I was extremely shocked and disappointed when I learned of Justin Trudeau’s actions this evening. Wearing brownface is an act of open mockery and racism. It was just as racist in 2001 as it is in 2019. What Canadians saw this evening was someone with a complete lack of judgment and integrity and someone who’s not fit to govern this county,” CNN reported.
The leader of the Green Party, Elizabeth May, also attacked Trudeau, 47.