Former President Barack Obama endorsed embattled Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in the country’s upcoming election, despite photos of him in blackface recently surfacing in the media. “I was proud to work with Justin Trudeau as President. He’s a hard-working, effective leader who takes on big issues like climate change,” Obama tweeted on Wednesday. “The world needs his progressive leadership now, and I hope our neighbors to the north support him for another term.” Three photos of Trudeau in brownface or blackface surfaced in the media, and he promptly took responsibility for his actions—though he admitted that he couldn’t say how many times he’s engaged in such behavior. This comes as the Oct. 21 Canadian election approaches. According to Bloomberg, Trudeau is heading into the election with near-record low approval numbers and polls indicate his party will likely face a tight race with opposition Conservatives.