'It was tough to watch...': PM Trudeau's pause when asked about Trump raises questions for Canadians
At a press conference on Tuesday morning, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau took a long pause, hesitating to comment on U.S. President Donald Trump using the military to clear protesters with tear gas and rubber bullets during a photo opportunity.
WATCH: President Trump walks across Lafayette Park to St. John's Church. Holding a Bible he says, "We have a great country. That's my thoughts." pic.twitter.com/A3HS8hR32p
— CSPAN (@cspan) June 1, 2020
Although not specifically commenting on the actions of Trump, the prime minister did make general statements about the events in the U.S. and highlighted there is also “systemic discrimination” in Canada.
“We all watch in horror and consternation what’s going on in the United States,” Trudeau said. “It is a time to pull people together but it is a time to listen, it is a time to learn what injustices continue despite progress over years and decades.”
“It is a time for us as Canadians to recognize that we too have our challenges, that black Canadians, racialized Canadians face discrimination as a lived reality every single day. There is systemic discrimination in Canada.”
The president is calling out the American military against American citizens.
He used the military to push out a peaceful protest so he could have a photo op at a church.
It's all just a reality TV show for this president.
Shameful.— Andrew Cuomo (@NYGovCuomo) June 1, 2020
Shortly after Trump’s appeared on Monday, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo spoke to CNN and called out Trump for his “shameful” actions.
“They used the American military to push back a peaceful protest, which everyone watched on TV, just so he could have a photo-op of walking to a church,” Cuomo said.
On Tuesday, Trudeau went on to say Canadians “need to be allies in the fight against discrimination.”
“We need to listen, we need to learn and we need to work hard...to figure out how we can be part of the solution on fixing thing,” the prime minister said. “This government has done a number of things over the past years but there is lots more to do and we will continue to do that.”
Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland was also asked why the Canadian government has not “more forceful” in reprimanding Trump’s approach to dealing with protesters in the U.S.
“I’d like to start by being very clear that racism exists here in Canada,” Freeland said. “Systemic discrimination is real, anti black racism is real and unconscious bias is real.”
“My focus is on Canada and it is on being very clear, within our government and with Canadians, that this is not a problem to which we are immune. It is our job today to listen to Canadians, to listen to black Canadians and it’s time for us to act.”
When asked if she and federal government have concerns about the potential “blowback” from the U.S. if their comments are too harsh, Freeland continued to comment on racism in Canada.
“What I am concerned about actually is Canadian complacency,” the deputy prime minister said. “I think that it’s really, really important for us to set our own house in order and for us to really beware of the pain that anti-black racism causes here in our own country.”
Following Trudeau’s comments, Canadians took to social media to respond to how the prime minister addressed the question about Trump’s actions.
Many believe he did not go far enough to condemn the U.S. president.
When will @JustinTrudeau condemn @realDonaldTrump or my skin colour isn’t important to the @liberal_party #blacklivesmattercanada
— JamarTheGay🌈 (@JamarTheGay) June 2, 2020
@JustinTrudeau and @ElizabethMay have yet to call @realDonaldTrump out for his hatred of black people. If the @liberal_party and @CanadianGreens continue to avoid holding trump responsible then they are part of the problem #BlackLivesMatter #blacklivesmattercanada https://t.co/5prtjPJus5
— JamarTheGay🌈 (@JamarTheGay) June 2, 2020
Others also called out Trudeau’s black face scandal from last year and the “hypocrisy” of him now making these statements about racism in Canada.
And the Academy Award for the most faked dramatic pause in Canadian history goes to Crime Minister “Blackface” Justin Trudeau! 🤣🤣 what a joke of Canadian Politics! https://t.co/WfVdendu5a
— Geoff Buxcey (Ret. RCMP) (@geoff_buxcey) June 2, 2020
Do you really think Trudeau should be the individual lecturing on systematic racism when he can't remember how many times HE wore #Blackface .....time that the media addresses this #Hypocrisy
— "MRH_1984" 🇨🇦 (@MRH_1984) June 2, 2020
Some also commended the prime minister for not being particularly critical of Trump.
Wow. The pause (not) heard round the world. I wonder what was going through PM Trudeau's mind during that silence. He's got class though, so even if he did wan't to eviscerate T, he didn't. Pure class. https://t.co/pIlqJFYRKr
— Steph On The Left 🌊 (@floradoragirl) June 2, 2020
It was tough to watch but a good answer. As a leader, he's not going to give his opinion on Trump. Why even ask that? Do we really want Canada to get into a war of words with a narcissistic sociopath?
— betty dondertman (@100thwoman) June 2, 2020
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If you are looking for more information on how to support the black community, please consider this list: Black Organizations And Anti-Racist Groups Canadians Can Support Now