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10 photos that threatened to derail political careers - from Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to presidential candidate Gary Hart

James Pasley,James Pasley   

10 photos that threatened to derail political careers - from Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to presidential candidate Gary Hart
Politics1 min read

  • In September 2019, several photos and a video of Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in black face have surfaced, bringing him under intense scrutiny as he campaigns for re-election.
  • Photos have also ended careers for former US politicians Al Franken, Chris Lee, and Anthony Weiner.
  • The wrong photo has also torpedoed campaigns for political office, including US presidential candidates Gary Hart, Michael Dukakis, and John Kerry.
  • Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

Politics is a cutthroat profession. One bad photo and it's all over.

In September, photos and a video of Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau dressed up in blackface on different occasions surfaced. He's apologized. But as he campaigns for a second term as prime minister in next month's election, the photos could have lasting repercussions.

Trudeau isn't the only one to face criticism for controversial photos. American politicians Al Franken, Chris Lee, Anthony Weiner, Gary Hart, Michael Dukakis, John Kerry, and Krystal Ball have all dealt with the fall-out from photos.

Hiding such a photo could make a big difference, too. The three images of Trudeau in blackface only emerged near the end of his first term. And a photo of Barack Obama with notorious antisemite and homophobe Louis Farrakhan didn't come to light until 2018, after Obama had already served two terms as president.

There's also former British Labour Party leader Ed Miliband who has to live with becoming a bacon sandwich-chewing meme

Here are 10 photos that have - or could have - derailed political careers. 

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