Trump's surreal call to Japan's Ishiba focused on Mideast trip, F-47s, self-praise, not trade
Shigeru Ishiba took a surprise 45-minute call from
US President
Donald Trump on Friday, Tokyo braced for tough talk on tariffs. Instead, officials were reportedly met with a meandering monologue that some say reflected Trump's need for affirmation more than any real interest in
Japan – or Ishiba.
According to insider sources cited in a report published by the Asahi newspaper on Tuesday, Trump spoke at length about his recent
Middle East trip, digressed into a discussion about his new fighter jet initiative, and offered unsolicited praise for his own achievements – all while adopting a tone so casual that some in Tokyo felt it bordered on the surreal.
A source from the Ishiba administration, quoted in the report, said the US contacted Japan on the morning of May 23 with a request from Trump to speak with the prime minister later that day.
The request caused concern in Tokyo, as Japan's trade negotiator was about to depart for Washington to push for the removal of US tariffs on Japanese imports. Officials worried Trump would push for more American agricultural purchases instead of lifting sanctions.
01:00
Trump justifies 'China tariffs' as US effort to curb 'greatest job theft in the world'
Trump justifies 'China tariffs' as US effort to curb 'greatest job theft in the world'
When the two leaders were connected at 11am local time, 10pm in Washington, 'Trump's tone was so relaxed that the Japanese side was taken aback,' the Asahi reported. An official said it was as if Trump 'was lying down and talking'.
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