Donald Trump has endorsed Japan's Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi ahead of a snap election in her country on Sunday.
Takaichi has already proven to be a strong, powerful, and wise leader... one that truly loves her country, the US president wrote in a Truth Social post on Thursday, adding: She will not let the people of Japan down!
While it is rare for U.S. presidents to publicly back candidates in foreign elections, Trump has done so before, endorsing Argentina's Javier Milei and Hungary's Viktor Orban most recently.
Takaichi has courted the U.S. president as Tokyo seeks more stability in its relationship with Washington, its closest ally, in the wake of Trump's tariffs.
Trump had threatened a 25% tariff initially, but Japan then struck a deal in July to invest $550bn (£407bn) in the U.S. In exchange, Washington lowered import levies to 15%.
Takaichi, 64, became PM in October after she won the leadership race in her party and secured enough support in parliament. However, she called for a last-month election to seek a public mandate.
Just one week after she took office, Tokyo rolled out the red carpet for Trump, deploying a full military guard of honour and band to welcome him at the Akasaka Palace, the government's state guesthouse.
She sought to portray herself as a leader Trump can and wants to do business with and, perhaps more importantly for the president, someone he gets along with personally.
The two leaders also see eye-to-eye on defense. Trump wants Tokyo to spend more on its own security and so does Takaichi, as sentiment grows in Japan that it must invest more in defense.
Takaichi described Trump as a partner in a new golden era and praised his role in bringing peace to the Middle East.
His post, which signals that Takaichi is a leader his administration would work with, is a message aimed not only at Japanese voters but also the region, and especially China.
Beijing and Tokyo are in the middle of a diplomatic rift, and the historically tense relationship has hit its lowest point in more than a decade. Takaichi found herself the target of China's ire in November when she suggested that Japan could respond with its own self-defense force if China attacked Taiwan, the self-governed island it has long claimed.
Trump’s endorsement signals an alignment with Takaichi's hardline stance and reflects ongoing geopolitical tensions as he also noted his relationship with China's leader Xi Jinping.
Polls predict a landslide victory for Takaichi, but winning the election will be the first of many challenges. Her leadership will be defined by how she manages Japan's stagnant economy and the delicate relationship with the US, its most critical security ally, as well as China, its largest trading partner.
