OTTAWA — Canadians from Newfoundland to British Columbia struggled with the past misdeeds of their leader this week when images surfaced of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in blackface and brownface makeup.

Could this be the same Mr. Trudeau who has welcomed thousands of refugees and has frequently apologized for Canada’s history of Indigenous abuse? Did the images from his past diminish his efforts in public life? And when it comes to October’s national election, could Canada, a nation that prides itself on its cosmopolitan cities and generous citizens, forgive a prime minister for actions that even he called racist?

Some found themselves wondering about the real Mr. Trudeau.

“Is it the one behind closed doors, the one when the cameras are turned off that no one sees?” asked Jagmeet Singh, a Sikh and the leader of the left-leaning New Democratic Party. “Is that the real Mr. Trudeau? Because more and more, it seems like it is.”

Mr. Trudeau apologized on Wednesday and on Thursday for his conduct, saying he was “deeply sorry” for the three occasions he wore blackface or brownface, as a student in the 1990s and as a teacher at a private prep school in 2001. But many people on social media and national talk shows rejected Mr. Trudeau’s claim that wearing brownface was not generally viewed as racist in 2001, when he appeared in dark makeup and a turban in two photos.