Justin Trudeau’s Trump Gaffe Is Straight Out Of Mean Girls (And, Like, So Embarrassing)

Don’t look now, but Team Trudeau is currently embroiled in another scandal. This one far less serious than previous massive missteps. And yet epically cringe-worthy in its own right, and maybe a little familiar to fans of a certain early aughts comedy.

ICYMI: Yesterday, Canada’s PM attended the NATO summit in England along with fellow world leaders. The actual meeting between Donald Trump and Justin Trudeau ended with the latter describing a “very good relationship” between our bordering nations, which may or may not be the case — sigh — that’s not what’s making headlines. Instead everyone is losing their London Fog over a video that shows Trudeau getting his gossip on later that day (as in yesterday evening). 

The scene was a reception at Buckingham Palace. The short clip (above) begins with U.K. PM Boris Johnson asking France’s president, Emmanuel Macron, why he was late. At which point Trudeau (fresh of a swig of whatever suds he is sipping on) jumps in to say Macron was late because “he takes a 40 minute press conference off the top.” (“He” being Trump, who pushed everyone’s schedule following the impromptu media op that Trudeau is referencing.) Trudeau goes on to explain how he “literally” saw the jaws of Trump’s team drop to the floor. Which is not exactly going to win him any diss-battles, but point is he was caught smack-talking — on camera. At the Queen’s house!

Count down to the inevitable SNL sketch this weekend, but for now all I can think about is the movie Mean Girls. Emmanuel Macron is Regina George (after ripping Trump a new one earlier that day, he’s earned the Queen Bee title). Boris Johnson is professional blond bimbo Karen Smith. Princess Anne (yes, that’s her on the left) can be Lacey Chabert. And Justin Trudeau is Cady Heron, aka Lindsay Lohan, aka the once delightfully earnest nerd whose desperation to fit in with the cool kids leads her seriously astray. 

Just try not cringing in the seconds between Trudeau’s first crack and his second (secure in the knowledge that he’s finally sitting at the right lunch table). Trade the suits for sexy Santa costumes and this is pretty much the moment where Regina invites Cady to stand beside her during the holiday lip synch performance. In other words: our boy is feeling himself — big time. 

But are we feeling him? Not so much. 

First off, getting caught gossiping is not a good look for a world leader. This wasn’t even one of those cases where someone mic was accidentally left on, but just Canada’s PM, exercising poor judgment, treating Buckingham Palace like it was a meeting behind the bleachers (that’s still where high school kids hang, right?).  

Not that there’s anything wrong with a little behind-the-scenes scuttle-butting at Buckingham Palace (that’s basically the entire plot of The Crown), but Justin Trudeau: This is simply not who you are. You are the hot nerd whose idea of acting up is an impromptu yoga pose. You are the guy whose own university-era party trick was throwing yourself down the stairs (presumably to gain approval from the Reginas and Borises of your ecosystem). You are a pair of extremely well-tailored khakis, who (for just a second) thought you were leather pants. And man did it backfire. 

Time to put out the cigarette, Bad Sandy, and remember who you’re representing. It’s bad enough that you made a fool out of us, the Canadians who just re-elected you. Even worse, your loose lips made an almost sympathetic character out of the world’s biggest bully. POTUS called Trudeau two-faced earlier today and, for once, we can’t really blame him. Let’s just hope the future of NAFTA fares better than Lindsay Lohan’s career.