"Over the line": Trudeau's family vacation in BC disrupted by right-wing reporter
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his family are currently on vacation in BC but it appears that his private time was disrupted after he was approached on the beach by a right-wing reporter.
Video shared by Keean Bexte, the editor-in-chief of the right-wing online publication The Counter Signal and self-described “independent journalist,” shows him finding Trudeau on a beach and attempting to ask him questions.
According to Bexte, Trudeau was walking on a beach in Tofino on Vancouver Island when he approached him.
In the video, Bexte said he and his team viewed “open-source information and discerning the whereabouts of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s plane” and “realized he was in hiding in Tofino.”
The 15-minute long video starts with Bexte pressing Trudeau for answers, questioning him about whether he is “hiding from [his caucus].”
What appears to be Trudeau’s staff and security step in, but the prime minister tells them that he will be with them shortly and invites Bexte to walk with him.
“Do you think the prime minister should be able to have a family life?” Trudeau asks Bexte.
“Do you think kids who grow up in a prime minister’s family deserve to have a normal-ish life with their family?” he continues, to which Bexte agrees.
Trudeau goes on to allow the reporter to ask him questions as they go back and forth.
However, Trudeau tries to reiterate that this is his time on vacation with his family, emphasizing that his children deserve privacy.
“My kids spend an awful lot of their life dealing with me as prime minister. Every now and then, I get to go away and watch my kids playing in the water. And this is the 10 days I get on vacation the entire summer and as you know, I work more days a week than the vast majority of Canadians,” he said.
Trudeau added that his son was playing on the beach before Bexte came up to him.
Many Canadians say the PM should be left alone on vacation
The video has garnered online reaction as some agreed that Trudeau was entitled to private time with his family.
“This isn’t journalism, it’s stalking,” wrote Canadian journalist and author André Picard on X.
This isn’t #journalism, it’s stalking.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is confronted during his family holiday by Keean Bexte of Rebel News on a Tofino, B.C. beach.https://t.co/6GlG3z5bub via @thehilltimes— André Picard (@picardonhealth) July 25, 2024
Stalking the PM while he’s on vacation is completely unacceptable. Keean Bexte and crew should not have been allowed anywhere near him.
What a repugnant little worm that Bexte is. Un-freaking-believable.
He deserved zero of the PM’s time.— Petrichor ❤🇨🇦❤ 💙💛 (@Chasingharmony1) July 24, 2024
One X-user said Bexte’s behaviour towards the prime minister was harassment.
Keean Bexte harassing our Prime Minister while he’s on vacation with his children
I would have walked away from him.
He is not an ethical journalist https://t.co/NpLQ9mybWc— Dennis Kendel (@DennisKendel) July 24, 2024
“I am not a fan of JT, but Bexte stepped over the line and rights of anyone taking vacations.” noted another person.
Im not a fan of JT, but Keean Bexte stepped over the line and rights of anyone taking vacations.
I truly respect private space whether he desert it or not, JT is entitled of his vacations!
— thetrujillos (@thetrujillos1) July 25, 2024
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau sounds amazing in this, you can see he is angry when his family vacation time with his kids is called a “story” and a “narrative” by a far right YouTuber who stocked him and followed him to BC from Alberta#cdnpoli #cdnpolitics pic.twitter.com/F6NptszUdE
— Clinton Desveaux (@ClintonDesveaux) July 25, 2024
“Family time should be sacred. No matter the political stripe. No matter the depth of the disagreements,” added another individual.
100%. Family time should be sacred.
No matter the political stripe. No matter the depth of the disagreements.
If everyone agreed on this, we’d end up with far better politicians, better debates, better policies.— Stéphanie Chouinard (@DrSChouinard) July 25, 2024
Another person said the act of tracking the prime minister down during vacation was “sleazy.”
I’m all for independent media, but this is not acceptable. If he was walking in the street, fine, give him hell, ask him all questions about how much of a douchebag he is. But tracking him down by whatever sleazy means, flying a water plane and harass the guy… not right!
— Carlos Carvalho (@Carlos_cmcc_ca) July 25, 2024
You really should leave him alone when he’s on vacation in the summer with his children https://t.co/MupMyXRcck
— Norman Spector (@nspector4) July 23, 2024
“I’m not a JT guy but come on,” said another.
I agree this reporter should be ashamed. I am not a JT guy but come on
— Matt Henry Vancouver Real Estate 🇨🇦 (@MattrHenry) July 24, 2024
Others agreed with Bexte’s approach and showed support in comments on his X posts.
The Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) provided Daily Hive with a brief statement about the incident.
“What you see in that video is a father deciding a course of action that moves a confrontational situation away from his child. Nothing to add beyond that.”
Trudeau will be on holiday in BC until August 1.
“He will reimburse the equivalent of a commercial airline ticket for him and his family, as well as pay for their stay,” said the PMO in a previous statement.
In an email to Daily Hive, the RCMP noted that on July 22, the prime minister was “attending a public beach with family on personal time, when two individuals approached, one with a microphone in hand.”
The RCMP added that Trudeau chose to speak with one of the individuals and “protective members were present throughout the exchange. At no time was the Prime Minister in danger.”
“There is of course reason for heightened vigilance as a result of recent events in the United States, and given the overall increase in threats towards and intimidation of elected officials at all levels across Canada,” stated the RCMP.
“The RCMP constantly reviews and adjusts the protective measures put in place for its protectees.”
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