Trudeau Went Silent For 21 Whole Seconds After A Question About Trump's Bible Photo-Op

Such a long pause.
Senior Writer

Well, this is awkward. Justin Trudeau's Donald Trump comment or lack thereof came after 21 seconds of complete silence as he tried to figure out what to say. Though, he didn't really end up answering the question.

During his daily press conference on June 2, the prime minister was asked a question that made him pause.

A reporter asked Trudeau what he thought about the U.S. President calling for military action against protesters, and having protesters tear-gassed so they could make way for him to have a photo-op.

After the question, there was silence.

A full 21 seconds of it to be exact.

It took Trudeau that long to formulate a response to the reporter's question and even then, he didn't really address what Trump did.

"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."

He then noted that Canadians need to realize that there are challenges in this country as well.

"There is systemic discrimination in Canada," he said.

Trudeau called that a lived reality for racialized Canadians.

He also said that now is the time to be allies, to listen, to learn and to figure out how to be part of the solution.

Trudeau was pressed about the issue again and asked why he wouldn't directly comment on the U.S. President's words and actions.

"My job as a Canadian prime minister is to stand up for Canadians, to stand up for our interests, to stand up for our values," he said.

This was all in reference to what happened in Washington a day earlier when protesters were moved from an area outside of the White House with tear gas so that the president could get through.

Trump walked from the White House to a church after those protesters had been cleared out.

While standing outside, he held up a bible.

On Twitter, the White House even posted a video of the walk and the photo-op outside of the church with dramatic, triumphant music as the soundtrack.

During a speech outside of the president's official residence, Trump called himself an ally of peaceful protesters.

But then he said that if U.S. governors don't deploy the National Guard to "dominate the streets," then the military would be sent in.

Last week, Trudeau addressed the protests in the U.S. as a result of George Floyd's death and anti-black racism. "It's in the United States but it's also in Canada," he said.

He also acknowledged that people are facing unconscious bias, systemic discrimination and anti-black racism every single day. The PM also said that society needs to stand together and be there for each other.

  • Senior Writer

    Lisa Belmonte (she/her) is a Senior Writer with Narcity Media. After graduating with a Bachelor of Journalism from Toronto Metropolitan University (formerly Ryerson University), she joined the Narcity team. Lisa covers news and notices from across the country from a Canada-wide perspective. Her early coverage of the COVID-19 pandemic earned Narcity its first-ever national journalism award nomination.

7 ways the war in Iran could impact Canadians — from grocery prices to terrorism

As the conflict engulfs the broader Middle East, here are some possible implications for Canadians.

Mark Carney got publicly called out by a Liberal MP for his support of Iran strikes (VIDEO)

Liberal MP Will Greaves released a video openly criticizing Carney's stance.

The White House released an AI video insulting Canada and Brady Tkachuk is firing back

The video depicts the Ottawa Senators captain calling Canadians "maple syrup eating f---s."

Carney is urging restraint after Trump's threat to kill 'a whole civilization' in Iran

Trump posted on Tuesday that "a whole civilization will die tonight, never to be brought back again" if a deal isn't reached to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.

I tested out the most Canadian chips and ranked them from best to worst

It's time to settle the dispute, once and for all.