Trump mocks Japan about Pearl Harbor in response to question about Iran war

The Guardian US News
by David Smith in Washington
March 19, 2026
3 min read

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Trump mocked Japan about Pearl Harbor while meeting with Japanese PM to discuss the Iran war.

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President Trump mocked Japan about the 1941 Pearl Harbor attack during an Oval Office meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi on Thursday, using the reference in response to a question about a potential Iran war. Trump said, "Who knows better about surprise than Japan?" in reference to Japan's surprise military strike on Pearl Harbor during World War II. The comment came as the two leaders were discussing U.S. foreign policy and potential military action, with Trump appearing to draw a parallel between surprise military attacks and the historical bombing. The remark underscores Trump's tendency toward provocative rhetoric even with allied leaders, though Japan is a longstanding U.S. ally in the Indo-Pacific region.

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