PolitiFact – Wacky shot: Photo doesn’t show Trudeau drunk, only adjusting his height

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and South Korean National Assembly Speaker Kim Jin-pyo smiled and clasped hands while posing for a picture. That would have seemed normal enough — except, in this shot, Trudeau’s legs were spread awkwardly.

“Why is he standing like this??” a May 18 Facebook post asked, sharing a screenshot of a tweet by an account named “Justin Trudeau’s Ego.” 

“Earlier today, I stood like an absolute moron for a photoshoot with the Korean delegation. Minister of Affairs Mélanie Joly and I have had a bit too much to drink, as you can see,” the tweet read. “I’m committed to embarrassing Canada on the world stage, and that’s exactly what I’m going to do.”

The post was flagged as part of Facebook’s efforts to combat false news and misinformation on its News Feed. (Read more about our partnership with Facebook.)

The photo is real, but Trudeau wasn’t standing like that because he’d had one too many drinks. The May 17 photo was posted by the Yonhap News Agency, and the caption said Trudeau adjusted his height to that of Kim.

A full video of their meeting showed that Trudeau (6 feet, 2 inches),  was initially standing properly while their photos were being taken, when Kim (about 5 feet, 7 inches) tiptoed playfully to match Trudeau’s height. Trudeau then adjusted his stance.