Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi with President Trump on Thursday in the Oval Office. “Who knows better about surprise than Japan?” Trump said, turning toward a visibly tense Takaichi, seated next to him. “Why didn’t you tell me about Pearl Harbor, OK?”AdvertisementThe joke hung in the air. In 2016, President Obama and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe scattered petals together on the waters of Pearl Harbor to honor the more than 2,400 killed in the attack. AdvertisementBy comparison, the Japanese prime minister’s summit in Washington was mild.

Source: Los Angeles Times March 20, 2026 02:56 UTC