Ezra takes on NYC: Do Americans recognize blackface Trudeau?

I'm in Times Square in New York City because Justin Trudeau is in town. He went to the United Nations to give a speech, but hundreds of seats were empty. I think there were only about a dozen people there. 

Then, he went on the Colbert Show and it was a snooze fest, it just wasn't funny at all. So I thought I would ask actual people in New York City, "Do you know who Justin Trudeau even is?" I showed them a picture of Justin Trudeau and said, "If you can tell me who this is, I'll give you a dollar."

If they really needed a hint, I showed them an infamous photo of Trudeau in blackface to see if that would jog their memory.

One New Yorker guessed "Will Smith," while another tried, "Macron?"

"First of all, an awful sad excuse for a leader for Canada," said one American, who correctly guessed the Prime Minister of Canada.

Unsurprisingly, most of the correct guesses were Canadians either visiting or residing in the U.S.!

"That's Prime Minister Justin Trudeau of Canada," correctly guessed one American. "I've heard him speak. It's awful... he doesn't give a s**t about his own country."

The vast majority of people have no clue who Justin Trudeau is. When I showed the blackface, that did ring a bell for some people, I'd say it was, a sort of lukewarm reception. Some foreigners thought he looked dreamy.

But I encountered some Canadians down here in New York who don't have a lot of time for Trudeau, and a very passionate man from the Caribbean who has a lot to say about Trudeau's violation of civil liberties.

It seems like New York might not have been the top choice for the Canadian Prime Minister to visit if he was hoping for a welcoming reception!