Crisis communication expert doubts Trudeau can recover from ‘blackface’ scandal

The reaction continues to pour in as two photos and a video have emerged of Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau in “blackface” makeup from more than 20 years ago.

The question now is whether Trudeau and the Liberal Party can recover from this. According to one communications expert, the answer is no.

“If this was a one-off, the only time it had happened, if it was once, and he delivered his apology, he could recover. But we have a series of things that have led up to this moment that are going to come into play,” said Mary-Lynn Charlton, the president and CEO of Martin Charlton Communications.

Charlton said Trudeau delivered a textbook apology Wednesday night. On Thursday, he told reporters in Winnipeg that he acted as a person raised with privilege and that blinded him from the realities of racism. He said what he did was a terrible mistake and he’s very embarrassed.

“He has set himself up, he and his party, by accusing opponents of racism. They’ve been trying to make their opponents in this election look bad on the racism issue, so that has set him to a very high standard,” Charlton said.

She said it also looks bad that he hasn’t apologized for other previous incidents.

“I think it’s difficult for him to recover because he didn’t apologize to the three women in his caucus around the SNC(-Lavalin) incident, and people across the nation were questioning that,” Charlton said. “He also didn’t apologize when the ethics commissioner found him guilty of an ethics violation around the SNC incident.”

So far, there hasn’t been any indication that Trudeau plans to step down.

“I don’t think he can resign when we’re into an election campaign, and when we’re in a relatively short writ, I think it does more harm for him to resign at this point. I think he’s just got to stick with it and let Canadians decide on election day,” said Charlton.

Trudeau is to be in Saskatoon on Thursday evening for a rally at the Delta Bessborough.