Trump’s Pearl Harbor Joke Causes Reaction From Japan PM
WASHINGTON – During a state visit by Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, U.S. President Donald Trump referenced the 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor, eliciting a visible reaction from the Prime Minister and drawing a mix of laughter and unease from those present. The remark came during a press conference where Trump was explaining why the U.S. Did not provide advance warning to its allies before a joint strike with Israel against Iran on February 28th.
“Who knows better about surprise than Japan?” Trump stated, addressing Takaichi directly. “Why didn’t you tell me about Pearl Harbor, okay?”
According to Mineko Tokito, a senior reporter from the Japanese newspaper Yomiuri Shimbun who was in the Oval Office, Takaichi’s response was immediate and noticeable. “Prime Minister Takaichi viscerally reacted, her eyes widening and her smile disappearing as she leaned back, drawing her hands in, clearly taken aback by the sudden mention of Pearl Harbor,” Tokito reported.
The Pearl Harbor attack, which occurred on December 7, 1941, resulted in the deaths of over 2,400 Americans and prompted the United States’ entry into World War II. The subsequent conflict culminated in the U.S. Dropping atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Despite this history, the two nations forged a strong alliance in the decades following the war.
Yuta Nakamura, a 33-year-old engineer, told Reuters that Takaichi was placed in “a very difficult situation” and commended her for “avoiding upsetting Trump.” Tokio Washino, a retiree, expressed unease, stating, “Given the historical context of Japan having done that and with Donald Trump bringing it up as an example, it makes me feel a bit uneasy as a Japanese citizen.”
This is not the first instance of Trump making potentially jarring historical references during international meetings. Last year, he made a remark to German Chancellor Friedrich Merz about the D-Day landings, stating it “wasn’t a very pleasant day for you.”
Trump justified the recent strike against Iran by claiming the country was on the verge of acquiring nuclear weapons – a claim disputed by the United Nations’ nuclear watchdog and most observers. He also called for the overthrow of Iran’s clerical government, though he has not formally designated regime change as a U.S. Policy goal.
As of Friday afternoon, neither the White House nor the Japanese Prime Minister’s office has issued a formal statement addressing Trump’s comments beyond the initial press conference exchange. Prime Minister Takaichi is scheduled to address a joint session of the U.S. Congress on Saturday.