Justin Trudeau Bails on Election Debate After Blackface Photos Surface

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s refusal to participate in a scheduled foreign policy election debate next Tuesday has prompted organizers to cancel the event.

Rudyard Griffiths, who chairs the Munk Debates, expressed disappointment in Trudeau’s decision to snub the semi-annual series of debates on major policy issues. saying in a statement: “Regrettably, the prime minister’s refusal to attend our debate has denied Canadians the only real opportunity they had this election to see his foreign policy record challenged in a substantive and sustained fashion.”

The following is a statement made today by Rudyard Griffiths, Chair of the Munk Debates.
“The Munk Debates is cancelling its October 1st election debate on foreign policy due to the Prime Minister’s refusal to participate. pic.twitter.com/1DpM5AhKmE

— The Munk Debates (@munkdebate) September 24, 2019

Although Trudeau opted against participating in the debate, his three major party opponents all confirmed they would attend.

Conservative Party of Canada blasted the move by Trudeau, saying the prime minister is “running from his record of disastrous foreign policy decisions.”

“But perhaps the biggest hit to Canada’s international reputation came last week when Justin Trudeau made headlines all over the world for wearing blackface on multiple occasions,” a party statement reads. “Justin Trudeau cannot be trusted to represent Canada with dignity and poise on the international stage. He is not as advertised.”

Trudeau’s refusal to participate in the Munk Debates event is the second high-profile campaign event that he’s bailed on. He also said he would not participate in a debate earlier this month, which was jointly hosted by Citytv and Maclean’s.

The decision to bail on the Munk Debates comes as Trudeau has dropped in the polls in the wake of his the blackface controversy. Last week, both American and Canadian news outlets published three incidents in which Trudeau darkened his skin as part of a costume. He has since apologized for doing so, telling Canadian’s it was something  “I deeply, deeply regret.”

“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 last Thursday.