On March 19, U.S. President Donald Trump sparked an awkward moment during a recent meeting in the White House with Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi. The two political leaders sat down at the Oval Office in Washington, D.C., when Trump made a joke about the Pearl Harbor attack.
Sanae Takaichi reacts to Donald Trump’s joke
Donald Trump recently met with Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi in the Oval Office on Thursday. During the meeting, the U.S. President made a joke about the Pearl Harbor attack, drawing a visibly awkward reaction from the Japanese politician.
At one point during the conference, a reporter asked Trump why he didn’t consult with Japan and other allies of the U.S. before deciding to launch strikes on Iran on February 28. In response, the POTUS said, “We didn’t tell anybody about it, because we wanted surprise.” Trump then joked, “Who knows better about surprise than Japan? Okay, why didn’t you tell me about Pearl Harbor?” He added, “You believe in surprise, I think, much more so than us.”
Following the remark, Takaichi appeared to lose her smile as she took a measured breath. A few chuckles could be heard from across the Oval Office in response to the joke, where U.S. officials, including Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, and others, were present.
Trump’s joke alluded to the surprise attack that the Empire of Japan launched on Pearl Harbor on the Hawaiian island of Oahu on December 7, 1941, which led to the U.S.’ entry into World War II. Following that, in August 1945, the U.S. dropped two atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in Japan, heralding the end of the war. Two nations signed a peace treaty in September 1951 and have been close allies ever since.
During the Thursday meeting, Japanese Prime Minister Takaichi supported Trump, stating, “Even against that backdrop [of war], I firmly believe that it is only you, Donald, who can achieve peace across the world.” The POTUS offered his compliments as well, calling Takaichi a “very popular, powerful woman.”
Originally reported by Namrata Ghosh on Mandatory.
