Trump Jokes about Pearl Harbor during Summit with Japan

Washington, March 19 (Jiji Press)–U.S. President Donald Trump joked about Japan’s 1941 Pearl Harbor attack on the United States while discussing U.S. military strikes against Iran during a meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi. In a question and answer session at the start of the meeting, Trump was asked by a reporter why Washington did not notify allies, including Japan, of the operations in advance and said that his country aimed to mount a surprise attack. “Who knows better about surprise than Japan?” he continued. “Why didn’t you tell me about Pearl Harbor?” Takaichi was sitting next to him. Her eyes widened, but she let the remark pass. The United States declared war on Japan following the Asian country’s attack on a military base in Pearl Harbor in December 1941. Last month, U.S. and Israeli forces launched air strikes on Iran, killing then supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Trump on Thursday described the operations as a surprise attack, saying that his country dealt a blow greater than expected. END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]