Justin Trudeau–Fidel Castro conspiracy theory

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Justin Trudeau June 2022 (3x4 cropped).jpg
Justin Trudeau (2018)
Fidel Castro (c. 1959) (3x4 cropped).jpg
Fidel Castro (c. 1959)

During his premiership as Prime Minister of Canada, a conspiracy theory emerged that Justin Trudeau is secretly the son of Cuban leader Fidel Castro. This claim has been promoted by Donald Trump and by several fake news websites. [1] [2] Conspiracy theorists cite alleged similarities in appearance between Trudeau and Castro, as well as the fact that Trudeau's father Pierre, who was also prime minister, visited Cuba several times. However, Pierre Trudeau did not make his first visit until 1976, five years after Justin was born in 1971. [3]

Contents

Origin

Following Fidel Castro's death in November 2016, Justin Trudeau's office released a statement on the matter which stated that Castro was a "controversial figure" and that "both Mr. Castro's supporters and detractors recognized his tremendous dedication and love for the Cuban people who had a deep and lasting affection for [Castro]". This was criticized by conservatives for allegedly being too supportive of Castro. On conservative, pro-Trump online platforms, such as the Reddit community r/The_Donald, this criticism evolved into conspiracy theories alleging that the two were related. [4]

Further spread

The conspiracy theory gained further attention during the 2022 Canada convoy protest against the Trudeau administration's COVID-19 policies. [5] In a 2024 interview with livestreamer Adin Ross, Donald Trump said that the conspiracy theory "could be" accurate because "anything [is] possible in this world". [1]

Evidence contradicting the conspiracy theory

There is significant evidence against the theory, including documentation that Pierre and Margaret Trudeau did not visit Cuba in the period when Justin Trudeau could have been conceived, and that they first visited the island after Justin was born. [4] Additionally, the Trudeau family was subject to a large amount of media attention during Pierre's premiership, and therefore it is not likely that the family could have visited Cuba in secret. [6]

References

  1. 1 2 Major, Darren. "Trump repeats conspiracy theory that PM Trudeau 'could be' son of Fidel Castro". CBC.
  2. ↑ Frier, Sarah (2018-11-04). "Facebook Tamped Down on Hoax Sites, But Polarization Thrives". www.bloomberg.com. Archived from the original on November 6, 2018. Retrieved 2018-11-06.
  3. ↑ Boyle, Michael (30 September 2023). "Is there any truth to the rumor Fidel Castro is Justin Trudeau's dad?". The Daily Dot .
  4. 1 2 Kasprak, Alex (20 September 2024). "Is Justin Trudeau Fidel Castro's Son?". Snopes .
  5. ↑ Hopper, Tristin. "Why Fidel Castro is not Justin Trudeau's dad (even though he really, really looks like him)". National Post.
  6. ↑ "No, Justin Trudeau is not Fidel Castro's son - National | Globalnews.ca". Global News. Retrieved 2025-06-11.
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