Former Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has been accused of double standards after footage emerged of him drinking from red plastic Solo cups at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in Indio, California, despite having championed a nationwide ban on single-use plastics during his time in office.
Perry posted several snapshots of herself and Trudeau together at the festival on Sunday, including a photo of them sitting side by side and holding red Solo cups. The images spread rapidly across social media, triggering a wave of criticism directed at the 54-year-old former leader.
While Trudeau announced the ban in June 2019, the official federal ban took effect on December 20, 2022. Canada’s Single-use Plastics Prohibition Regulations prohibited the manufacture, import, and sale of items including checkout bags, cutlery, stir sticks, and certain food service ware. Crucially, the regulations do not cover all plastic cups, a distinction that did little to calm critics online.
Some social media users rushed to Trudeau’s defence, arguing that he had no control over what Coachella supplied for drinks and pointing out that he could not reasonably have been expected to refuse the cup.
Neither Trudeau nor Perry publicly commented on the backlash. The viral moment came hours before Trudeau separately posted on social media in response to Hungary’s recent election results, commenting on democratic institutions.
Trudeau stepped down as prime minister in early 2025 after a decade in office. He and Perry have been a couple since mid-2025 and have appeared together at several high-profile events, with their Coachella outing marking one of their most publicised appearances to date.
