A video of Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau debating with a man opposed to abortion rights has gone viral on social media. The clip, which was filmed and shared on Reddit, was taken during a visit by Trudeau to the University of Manitoba in Winnipeg last week.
In the video, the man—a student at the university—tells Trudeau that he supports the right-wing Canadian People's Party because of their Christian values and his opposition to the vaccine mandate.
He also expresses his opposition to abortion rights. Trudeau then asks the man if he believes "women should have the right to choose what happens to their own bodies," to which the man responds negatively.
Things spiraled from there.
You can watch what happened in the video below.
\u201cStart the weekend off right by watching Justin Trudeau set a conservative troll straight on abortion.\u201d— Kaivan Shroff (@Kaivan Shroff) 1681526883
When Trudeau asked the student if he believes women should be able to make their own reproductive choices, the student replied, "Personally, no," which prompted Trudeau to ask if he believes he "should be able to choose what happens to a woman's body."
The student replied:
"I think if they're sleeping around they shouldn't be allowed to abort the baby, personally."
A visibly incredulous Trudeau then asked if women who are raped should be able to get abortions, to which the student gave the following response:
"That's where it gets complicated."
Trudeau quickly shut that line of thinking down:
"No, it doesn't get complicated. It's a yes or no. It's an all-too-common example."
"Women get raped all the time and it's something we have to take seriously … Should a woman who was raped be able to get an abortion?"
When the student told him he is "split on it, 50-50," Trudeau replied with the following before walking away:
"Well, it sounds like you need to do a little more thinking… and a little more praying."
The Liberal Party—which Trudeau leads—praised Trudeau's response, saying its members will "always stand up for a woman's right to choose."
\u201cWe\u2019ll always stand up for a woman\u2019s right to choose.\nhttps://t.co/mnLbxMMCim\u201d— Liberal Party (@Liberal Party) 1681664167
Others shared similar thoughts and praised Trudeau for the way he handled the exchange.
\u201cNote to Trudeau Haters - if you think you can trip him up on the issue of Abortion YOU CAN'T\n\nwhich is why Prime Minister Justin Trudeau support among female voters is rock solid #cdnpoli\u201d— G.T. Lem \u6797 \u5bb6 \u8070 (@G.T. Lem \u6797 \u5bb6 \u8070) 1681397454
\u201cIf you can, take a minute and listen to Justin Trudeau's takedown of this conservative on abortion. Beautiful!\nThe guy - "if they're sleeping around they shouldn't be allowed to abort the baby." And more\ud83d\ude21\n#CodifyRoe\n#AbortionIsHealthcare \n#AbortionRightsAreHumanRights\u201d— Linda \ud83c\udf3b\ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\udde6\ud83c\udf3b\ud83c\udf0a\ud83c\udf0e\ud83c\udf0a (@Linda \ud83c\udf3b\ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\udde6\ud83c\udf3b\ud83c\udf0a\ud83c\udf0e\ud83c\udf0a) 1681588979
\u201cTo start, I\u2019m not a fan of \u2066@JustinTrudeau\u2069 but he can do something that \u2066@PierrePoilievre\u2069 and the \u2066@CPC_HQ\u2069 cannot: talk off the cuff and make a thoughtful response. Cons can only read from a paper. https://t.co/SHoyp6iVxa\u201d— Mike Wiseman (@Mike Wiseman) 1681426097
\u201c@KaivanShroff Love when you hit a lot of these folks with actually honest questions and facts how they crumble.\u201d— Kaivan Shroff (@Kaivan Shroff) 1681526883
\u201c@KaivanShroff I appreciate Trudeau's sincerity without outright snarkyness with this young man who seems to be trying hard to ruffle a pro.\u201d— Kaivan Shroff (@Kaivan Shroff) 1681526883
\u201c@KaivanShroff @H_MitchellPhoto When that guy grows a uterus, then he can opine on what a woman can choose in regard to abortion.\u201d— Kaivan Shroff (@Kaivan Shroff) 1681526883
\u201c@KaivanShroff @H_MitchellPhoto Love the hand on the shoulder. "Class is over, you've been schooled. You're welcome."\n\ud83e\udd23\ud83e\udd23\ud83e\udd23\ud83e\udd23\u201d— Kaivan Shroff (@Kaivan Shroff) 1681526883
Amid the ongoing debate surrounding abortion rights in Canada and worldwide, Trudeau and his governing Liberal Party have made a clear pledge to defend such rights in Canada.
This pledge stands in stark contrast to recent events in the United States, where abortion rights have been rolled back following last year's landmark Supreme Court ruling that overturned Roe v. Wade. In response to this ruling, the Canadian government has pledged $2.5 million to expand access to abortion services.
The Canadian government's pledge to expand access to abortion services is a critical step towards achieving gender equality and reproductive rights. As access to safe and legal abortion services continues to be threatened in other parts of the world, this pledge serves as a beacon of hope for those who believe in protecting reproductive rights.
