President Donald Trump drew a comparison between U.S. military strikes on Iran and the 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor, defending his actions during a meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi in Washington.
Trump Invokes Pearl Harbor in Discussion of Surprise Attacks
When asked by a journalist why he hadn’t consulted with allies before launching military action, Trump responded, “We wanted surprise. Who knows better about surprise than Japan? Why didn’t you tell me about Pearl Harbour?” He added, “You believe in surprise, I think much more so than us.”
Takaichi visibly reacted to Trump’s remarks, widening her eyes and shifting in her chair as he referenced the event that led to the United States’ entry into World War II.
The attack on the U.S. naval base in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, on December 7, 1941, resulted in the deaths of 2,390 Americans.
The following day, President Franklin D. Roosevelt addressed the nation, calling the attack “a date which will live in infamy,” and the U.S. declared war on Japan. Japan’s defeat came in August 1945, following the U.S. atomic bomb attacks on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, which killed hundreds of thousands of civilians.
Trump’s comments have elicited varied reactions in Tokyo.
One Tokyo resident told reporters that Takaichi was placed in “a very difficult situation,” and commended her for successfully “avoiding upsetting Trump.”
“Personally, I took President Trump’s remark as just a joke. But because of her position, if she laughed too much, she’d likely face criticism, so I imagine it was quite hard for her to react,” the resident said.
Another individual expressed unease, stating, “Given the historical context of Japan having done that, and with Donald bringing it up as an example, it makes me feel a bit uneasy as a Japanese citizen.”
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