Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau, a liberal who has proudly touted himself as a feminist, caused an uproar Wednesday night after he elbowed a female lawmaker on the floor of Parliament and “manhandled” another MP.
The incident occurred during a testy session of the Canadian House of Commons. Angry over a delay in starting a vote, Trudeau left the bench and waded through a group of opposition lawmakers in order to grab Conservative MP Gord Brown and direct him to take his seat. While doing so, video shows him elbowing New Democratic Party (NDP) MP Ruth Ellen Brosseau, who is jolted back by the force of Trudeau’s blow.
WATCH:
Brosseau said afterwards that Trudeau’s elbow left her feeling so “overwhelmed” that she had to leave the chamber, causing her to miss the subsequent vote. NDP House Leader Peter Julian added that Trudeau had, in his view, “manhandled” Brown by grabbing him and sending him towards his seat. (RELATED: Justin Trudeau’s Quantum Computing Flop)
The incident immediately caused an uproar, with members of both the Conservative and New Democratic Parties (which are otherwise on opposite ends of the political spectrum) savaging Trudeau for losing his temper and engaging in callous violence.
“What kind of man elbows a woman? It’s pathetic! You’re pathetic!” NDP leader Tom Mulcair shouted at Trudeau afterwards.
Another NDP party member, Niki Ashton, described Trudeau’s elbow as a “deeply traumatic” act that prevented the Commons floor from being a safe space for women.
“He made us feel unsafe and we’re deeply troubled by the conduct of the prime minister of this country,” Ashton said.
Conservative leader Rona Ambrose, meanwhile, described Trudeau’s stunt as “embarrassing” and revealing a “complete lack of respect” for members of Parliament.
Trudeau, meanwhile, has already tried to offer two apologies, saying he took full responsibility for his “unadvisable course of actions.”
Send tips to blake@dailycallernewsfoundation.org.
All content created by the Daily Caller News Foundation, an independent and nonpartisan newswire service, is available without charge to any legitimate news publisher that can provide a large audience. All republished articles must include our logo, our reporter’s byline and their DCNF affiliation. For any questions about our guidelines or partnering with us, please contact licensing@dailycallernewsfoundation.org.