Jordan Peterson considers legal action against Justin Trudeau over Russian money accusations

Jordan Peterson is weighing the possibility of legal action against Prime Minister Justin Trudeau after the Canadian leader alleged that Peterson has received money from the Russian state-owned media company RT. Trudeau made the claim on Wednesday during his testimony at a public inquiry into foreign interference, though he did not provide evidence to support his statement.

In a comment to the National Post, Peterson denied the accusation, stating that he has not taken money from the Russian government “not ever in the past and not now.” He added that Trudeau's claims are a “very serious accusation.”

“You should have done your bloody homework and if you’re going to make accusations, you should have at least got them right. I don’t think it’s reasonable for the prime minister of the country to basically label me a traitor and I don’t find it amusing,” Peterson said.

Following Trudeau's comments, Peterson is now considering filing a defamation lawsuit. However, he expressed reservations, noting that such cases are often a “losing game” even when they are reasonable.

“I know what lawsuits are like and they’re a pain, and I’m not interested in being burdened down with that sort of pain, practically speaking. But by the same token, how about you don’t defame me when you’re the prime minister, especially stupidly,” said Peterson.

“I’ve been talking to my family about (whether) I have a moral obligation to go after him for defamation. He’s not like my neighbor, he’s the prime minister,” he added.

Trudeau's remarks come as the US Department of Justice investigates allegations that RT is involved in money laundering and efforts to influence the US presidential election by paying right-wing commentators. Peterson said he was baffled by the inclusion of his name in these claims, as no evidence has been provided to support this.

“How I got dragged into this, I don’t know, because I haven’t been implicated in that even peripherally, but I don’t think Trudeau is informed enough to understand what the hell’s going on, period, but certainly not in the broader social media space,” said Peterson.