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.
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."
Others shared similar thoughts and praised Trudeau for the way he handled the exchange.
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.
