Mary Trump - Treating Allies Like Enemies [View all]

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi visited the White House yesterday to reaffirm the U.S.–Japan alliance. The meeting unfolded exactly as one might expect when one of the leaders involved has no clear grasp of how to manage the crisis he created. That crisis, of course, is Donald’s war of choice in Iran.

Takaichi, Japan’s first female prime minister, is a hard line conservative and she arrived in Washington D.C. with a gesture of goodwill—250 cherry trees to mark America’s upcoming 250th anniversary. She also found herself navigating an Oval Office meeting dominated by the fallout of Donald’s rapidly escalating conflict. What should have been a ceremonial reaffirmation of diplomatic ties became, for Takaichi, an exercise in damage control.

There were visible signs of discomfort throughout the meeting, particularly when reporters pressed the prime minister about Japan’s refusal to help secure the Strait of Hormuz. She reiterated Japan’s opposition to Iran’s nuclear program and appealed directly to Donald’s ego, telling him,

I firmly believe it is only you, Donald, who can achieve peace across the world.

https://www.marytrump.org/p/treating-allies-like-enemies