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Live updates: Japan’s Takaichi visits Trump, with energy, trade on agenda; Hegseth blasts Europe, media

What happened

During Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's White House visit, President Trump made a comment about Japan and surprises when asked why the US didn't inform Japan about strikes on Iran beforehand. Trump said "Who knows better about surprise than Japan?" while chuckling and turning to Takaichi. The comment, appearing to reference Pearl Harbor, occurred as Japan considers helping with Strait of Hormuz operations during the ongoing Iran conflict.

Why people care

The remark touched on one of the most sensitive moments in US-Japan relations - the 1941 Pearl iran-israel-tensions-escalate-after-energy-infrastructure-strikes.html" class="story-link" title="Watch: Trump compares attack on Iran to Pearl Harbor in meeting with Japanese PM">Harbor attack - during a critical diplomatic meeting. Japan is being asked to provide military support for US operations in the Iran conflict, making the timing particularly awkward for maintaining the alliance.

The takes

Critics say

The comment was tone-deaf and inappropriate, referencing a tragic historical event during sensitive diplomatic negotiations. Making light of Pearl Harbor while asking Japan for military cooperation shows poor judgment and could strain the alliance when US needs Japanese support most.

Supporters say

Trump was making an offhand remark during a press conference and shouldn't be over-analyzed. The US-Japan relationship is strong enough to withstand casual comments, and focusing on this distracts from the important strategic discussions about Iran and regional security.

Sources