Fact Check

Have Childhood Pictures of Justin Trudeau Come Back to Haunt Him?

A routine review of content labeled satire.

Published Oct. 1, 2019

Claim:
A childhood photograph shows Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau riding on the back of a black boy.

On Sept. 20, 2019, World News Daily Report published an article positing that a photograph from Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's childhood, which featured two white children riding on the backs of two black children, was unearthed as the politician was embroiled in a blackface scandal:

NEW CHILDHOOD PICTURES OF JUSTIN TRUDEAU COME BACK TO HAUNT HIM

Embroiled in a scandal over his past wearing of blackface and brownface, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau now faces international criticism after new childhood pictures of his brother and him riding on the back of black children during a trip to Kenya.

This item was not a factual recounting of real-life events, and the above-displayed image does not feature Trudeau as a child. The article originated with a website that describes its output as being humorous or satirical in nature, as follows:

WNDR assumes however all responsibility for the satirical nature of its articles and for the fictional nature of their content. All characters appearing in the articles in this website – even those based on real people – are entirely fictional and any resemblance between them and any persons, living, dead, or undead is purely a miracle.

This piece of satire was published amidst a controversy over a set of photographs showing Trudeau in black and brown face. While those photographs of Trudeau are real (you can read more about the scandal here), the above-displayed image does not feature him during his childhood.

Sources

Associated Press.   "‘A Dumb Thing to Do’: Trudeau Apologizes for Brownface."     18 September 2019.

World News Daily Report.   "New Childhood Pictures of Justin Trudeau Come Back to Haunt Him."     20 September 2019.