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 US 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 US 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 US. In exchange, Washington lowered import levies to 15%.
Takaichi became PM in October after she won the leadership race in her party and secured enough support in parliament. However, she called for an 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.
The two leaders heaped praises on each other and signed a deal on rare earths, heralding a new golden age of US-Japan relations. During the visit, Takaichi described Trump as a partner in a new golden era and praised his role in bringing peace to the Middle East.
Trump noted in his Thursday post that he and his representatives were 'extremely impressed' with Takaichi during his visit to Japan, highlighting progress made in national security cooperation and economic ties.
He also mentioned a scheduled welcome for Takaichi at the White House on March 19, underscoring a commitment to strengthen ties.
This endorsement follows a phone call Trump had with China's leader Xi Jinping, where he spoke on maintaining a favorable relationship with China, emphasizing the significance of keeping communications open amid rising tensions involving Taiwan. Takaichi has been a central figure in Japan's discourse on China, particularly her comments suggesting Japan's need to bolster its self-defense capabilities in response to potential threats from China regarding Taiwan.
While it is rare for US 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 US 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 US. In exchange, Washington lowered import levies to 15%.
Takaichi became PM in October after she won the leadership race in her party and secured enough support in parliament. However, she called for an 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.
The two leaders heaped praises on each other and signed a deal on rare earths, heralding a new golden age of US-Japan relations. During the visit, Takaichi described Trump as a partner in a new golden era and praised his role in bringing peace to the Middle East.
Trump noted in his Thursday post that he and his representatives were 'extremely impressed' with Takaichi during his visit to Japan, highlighting progress made in national security cooperation and economic ties.
He also mentioned a scheduled welcome for Takaichi at the White House on March 19, underscoring a commitment to strengthen ties.
This endorsement follows a phone call Trump had with China's leader Xi Jinping, where he spoke on maintaining a favorable relationship with China, emphasizing the significance of keeping communications open amid rising tensions involving Taiwan. Takaichi has been a central figure in Japan's discourse on China, particularly her comments suggesting Japan's need to bolster its self-defense capabilities in response to potential threats from China regarding Taiwan.
