In an August 5 interview with streamer Adin Ross, who has ties to white nationalists, Trump said about Trudeau: “They say he’s the son of Fidel Castro, and could be.” The comment came as Ross asked Trump for one word to describe various people. When shown an image of Trudeau, Trump said to Ross, “They say he’s the son of Fidel Castro, and could be. I mean, anything’s possible in this world.” [Kick, 8/5/24; Media Matters, 8/5/24]

Just days before Trump pushed the conspiracy theory, white nationalist Stew Peters similarly claimed that Trudeau is “Castro’s illegitimate son.” While speaking with a Florida Republican congressional candidate who claimed his opponent is related to Castro, Peters said that “would make him, I guess, the illegitimate cousin of Justin Trudeau, who I believe is also … Castro’s illegitimate son from the love child affairs that all of these sick, corrupt people are having.” [Rumble, The Stew Peters Show, 8/1/24; Media Matters, 3/13/23]

The conspiracy theory that Trudeau is Castro’s son has been debunked multiple times, including as far back as 2016. As Vice noted, the false claim started around 2016 “when this theory was all the rage among the far-right conspiratorial types after Canada’s PM praised El Jefe after his death. The idiotic theory was even pushed by pretty big outlets and figures like Ezra Levant and his hype machine, the Rebel,” referring to the far-right Canadian outlet. [Vice, 11/29/16, 2/20/18; Media Matters, 1/26/23]

In early 2018, disinformation site YourNewsWire revived the conspiracy theory, publishing a false story that “Cuba claims Justin Trudeau is Fidel Castro’s son.” The conspiracy theory was reportedly revived online after YourNewsWire — which spread far-right conspiracy theories including Pizzagate and QAnon — published an article titled “Cuba Claims Justin Trudeau Is Fidel Castro’s Son.” According to Vice, the article “outlines a tale that a suicide note which was found next to Fidel Castro’s son in which he states that Castro's son complained that his father repeatedly and unfairly compared him to Justin Trudeau and then states, ‘but what was I to do? I am Cuban. My brother is Canadian.’” The article and its claims were then reportedly “amplified by 4Chan trolls, far-right blogs, and the worst people on Twitter who all took this as fact and worked to further the theory.” [Vice, 2/20/18; Media Matters, 2/1/18; Poynter, 7/20/18]

In August 2020, QAnon Telegram channel “Q NEWS OFFICIAL TV #WWG1WGA” wrote: “TRAITOR TRUDEAU SON OF FIDEL CASTRO.” [Telegram, 8/9/20]

While criticizing Trudeau over his COVID-19 response, far-right anti-vaccine podcast host Sherri Tenpenny called him “Criminister Justin (Castro) Trudeau.” [Telegram, 9/25/20; Media Matters, 1/12/22]

Former Proud Boys leader Enrique Tarrio posted a link that showed images of Trudeau and claimed, “Castros son trying to do to my brothers what He did to my fam in Cuba.” [Telegram, 2/4/21]

Proud Boys founder Gavin McInnes posted images of Castro, Trudeau, and “Justin’s mother pawing Fidel Castro.” McInnes also posted,“Note the ‘father,’ Pierre who could not look less like Justin.” [Telegram, 1/30/22]

QAnon figure Brad Getz used the moniker “Justin Castro Trudeau” and claimed that Trudeau had downplayed the so-called “Freedom Convoy” protesting vaccine mandates. [Telegram, 1/30/22; Texas Monthly, 7/8/21; Wired, 7/8/21; Media Matters, 2/9/22]

In 2022, conspiracy theory network Infowars published a “special report” titled “Is Justin Trudeau A Bastard Of Fidel Castro?” The Infowars article claimed, “Like Castro, [the] Canadian prime minister has transformed his country into a dictatorship -- but there are other more compelling similarities” between the two men. [Infowars, 2/16/22]

QAnon figure Pepe Lives Matter on Trudeau ending the Freedom Convoy: “Castro junior exposed himself like never before.” [Telegram, 2/18/22; Twitter/X, 1/7/21]

Far-right cartoonist Ben Garrison created a cartoon of Hitler and Castro pulling Trudeau and each arguing they’re his father.

[Telegram, 9/27/23; Media Matters, 7/9/19]