blog post 11

Dad Joke

I think it was 2018, the first time I heard the theory that Cuban Dictator Fidel Castro is the biological father of current Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. At first, I thought it was just a joke. Then I compare photos of both leaders side to side. I admit I do see a resemblance as many other people do.
Researching this theory further, I found it has been debunked. Simply put, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was born on December 25, 1971. His father, former Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau, and Mother Margaret Trudeau were married ten months earlier, on March 4, 1971. There is no evidence that Margaret Trudeau met Fidel Castro during that time or any time before 1976, during the Trudeau family’s famous visit to Cuba. Resulting in a friendship forming between the two leaders and Canadian-Cuban relations remaining vital to this day.    

​However, I began to ask myself, where did this idea come from? Indeed not, out of thin air. There must be more this theory is based on than just a strong resemblance. As the saying goes, there is some truth in every joke.
To answer this question, I had to go back to 2016. On November 25, 2016, Fidel Castro died, and in Justin’s eulogy/press release, he praises Fidel Castro calling him a great leader. Naturally, this angered many people. Around this time, the theory started circulating around the internet and eventually went mainstream, with #trudeaueulogy trending on Twitter at the time. 

After understanding the origins of this theory, I ask myself why it is so believable. First, there is a resemblance between the leaders. Second, Justin’s comments from the press release. Third, Margaret Trudeau. She had an affair while Pierre Trudeau was in office. As well, she had a close relationship with Fidel. 

In conclusion, on the surface, it seemed possible because of many little reasons, and that’s why the idea went mainstream. And it is a funny joke, but once you look a little deeper, it has no basis in reality.    


Sources:

National Post Article by Tristin Hopper, March 4th, 2022:
https://nationalpost.com/news/canada/why-fidel-castro-is-not-justin-trudeaus-dad-even-though-he-really-really-looks-like-him

Global News article from February 17th, 2018:
https://globalnews.ca/news/4032280/justin-trudeau-is-not-fidel-castro-son/
 
YouTube video "Trudeau Sparks Castro Controversy" by CBC News, November 28th, 2016:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YXcrXXRlhTA&ab_channel=CBCNews%3ATheNational