It sounds like he has an honest explanation which matches a plausible set of experiences.

"When asked if the photo was racist, Trudeau responded: "Yes." He added that he "didn’t consider it a racist action at the time," but has since realized he was wrong."

The big picture: The photo was taken in 2001 at an Arabian Nights gala and appeared in the school's yearbook. Trudeau was 29 at the time and a teacher at the private school where the event was being held.

While taking reporters' questions, Trudeau repeatedly said he's "pissed off" at himself and sorry to Canadians.

It's not a good look, but it's plausible.

His policies have historically been very inclusive, have they not? He just doesn't behave like a person who, deep down inside, is virulently racist. Here's the first good example I could google. Would be weird for someone saying those things to be secretly racist. Just, why fight for immigrants then? Weird flex.

I realize that one should be skeptical of apologizing for this kind of behavior, but the hypothesis "Justin Trudeau did this because he's in some way a horrible person" is a bit tortured. He was an idiot in his twenties going to a theme costume party where there was an incentive to go over the top, and made a reallllllly terrible call, in 2001. I don't think it's that complicated. We should make him apologize profusely and move on.