Japan rejects Trump on Strait of Hormuz after Pearl Harbor joke
David Edwards
March 20, 2026
President Donald Trump said that Japan was declining to help open the Strait of Hormuz, a day after he made a joke about Pearl Harbor.
Following his Thursday meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, Trump told Fox News host Martha MacCallum on Friday that the country would not assist with the fallout from the war in Iran because of "constitutional constraints."
"Japan is better ally than NATO," Trump reportedly said to MacCallum.
Japan's constitution bans the use of force except in defense of its territory. It's unclear whether the Japanese Self-Defense Force could be used to escort ships through the Middle Eastern waterway.
During his meeting with Takaichi, Trump compared his strikes on Iran to the bombing of Pearl Harbor.
"We didn't tell anybody about it because we wanted surprise. Who knows better about surprise than Japan? Why didn't you tell me about Pearl Harbor, OK?" the U.S. president joked.
David Edwards
March 20, 2026
RAW STORY
Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi raises her fist while saying "Japan is back" as she delivers remarks during a dinner hosted by U.S. President Donald Trump at the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S., March 19, 2026. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY
Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi raises her fist while saying "Japan is back" as she delivers remarks during a dinner hosted by U.S. President Donald Trump at the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S., March 19, 2026. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY
President Donald Trump said that Japan was declining to help open the Strait of Hormuz, a day after he made a joke about Pearl Harbor.
Following his Thursday meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, Trump told Fox News host Martha MacCallum on Friday that the country would not assist with the fallout from the war in Iran because of "constitutional constraints."
"Japan is better ally than NATO," Trump reportedly said to MacCallum.
Japan's constitution bans the use of force except in defense of its territory. It's unclear whether the Japanese Self-Defense Force could be used to escort ships through the Middle Eastern waterway.
During his meeting with Takaichi, Trump compared his strikes on Iran to the bombing of Pearl Harbor.
"We didn't tell anybody about it because we wanted surprise. Who knows better about surprise than Japan? Why didn't you tell me about Pearl Harbor, OK?" the U.S. president joked.
'He's mentally unhinged': Trump hit with disgust as tasteless Japan comment flops
Tom Boggioni
March 19, 2026
U.S. President Donald Trump meets with Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi in the Oval Office at the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S., March 19, 2026. REUTERS/Evelyn Hockstein
Donald Trump’s Oval Office appearance with Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi ended on a sour note after he made a tone-deaf comment about Japan attacking Pearl Harbor in 1941.
At the end of what was a mostly cordial joint appearance, the president was asked why he did not alert the leadership of Japan and other allies about his impending attack on Iran.
First stating that he didn’t want to lose the element of surprise, he took what seemed an awkward stab at a joke, saying, “Who knows better about surprise than Japan? Okay, why didn’t you tell me about Pearl Harbor?"
That led to a few scattered laughs and then some murmuring, as the president continued, “You believe in surprise, I think, much more so than us. And we had a surprise, and we did, and because of that surprise, we knocked out, the first two days, we probably knocked out 50% of what we — and much more than we anticipated doing. So if I go and tell everybody about it, there’s no longer a surprise, right?”
Needless to say, social media lit up over the tasteless remark.
Former Chicago Tribune editor Mark L Jacob was quick to respond with, “Trump jokes about Pearl Harbor with his guest, the Japanese prime minister. He’s mentally unhinged, with no impulse control or sense of what’s appropriate.”
“I can’t believe that Trump just joked about Pearl Harbor while sitting next to Japan’s prime minister at the White House. What an absolute embarrassment!” added Democratic strategist Jon Cooper. Journalist Steven Beschloss added, “’Who knows more about surprise than Japan? Why didn't you tell me about Pearl Harbor?’ -- the embarrassing idiot Donald Trump in response to a Japanese reporter's question about starting a war with Iran while sitting next to the Japanese prime minister.”
Educator Orion noted, “You can hear the air go out of the room.”
“This is another leak in the cognitive damn. Look for increasingly racist comments in the coming weeks. Unless biology steps in and saves us, I have a feeling we’ll hear the N word by the midterms,” predicted Democracy Dude.
“I didn't think he could still make me gasp, but I was wrong,” admitted archivist Rubberband Girl Cheryl McNeilly noted.
“My great-aunt Hisako was a Nagasaki survivor. Great-uncle was a pilot, brought her to US post-war. We saw her regularly till her death when I was 20. Sweet, gentle woman. First rule of the family was to NEVER discuss the war. Ever. Even when cancer finally killed her. The look on the PMs face ...”
Tom Boggioni
March 19, 2026
RAW STORY
U.S. President Donald Trump meets with Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi in the Oval Office at the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S., March 19, 2026. REUTERS/Evelyn Hockstein
Donald Trump’s Oval Office appearance with Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi ended on a sour note after he made a tone-deaf comment about Japan attacking Pearl Harbor in 1941.
At the end of what was a mostly cordial joint appearance, the president was asked why he did not alert the leadership of Japan and other allies about his impending attack on Iran.
First stating that he didn’t want to lose the element of surprise, he took what seemed an awkward stab at a joke, saying, “Who knows better about surprise than Japan? Okay, why didn’t you tell me about Pearl Harbor?"
That led to a few scattered laughs and then some murmuring, as the president continued, “You believe in surprise, I think, much more so than us. And we had a surprise, and we did, and because of that surprise, we knocked out, the first two days, we probably knocked out 50% of what we — and much more than we anticipated doing. So if I go and tell everybody about it, there’s no longer a surprise, right?”
Needless to say, social media lit up over the tasteless remark.
Former Chicago Tribune editor Mark L Jacob was quick to respond with, “Trump jokes about Pearl Harbor with his guest, the Japanese prime minister. He’s mentally unhinged, with no impulse control or sense of what’s appropriate.”
“I can’t believe that Trump just joked about Pearl Harbor while sitting next to Japan’s prime minister at the White House. What an absolute embarrassment!” added Democratic strategist Jon Cooper. Journalist Steven Beschloss added, “’Who knows more about surprise than Japan? Why didn't you tell me about Pearl Harbor?’ -- the embarrassing idiot Donald Trump in response to a Japanese reporter's question about starting a war with Iran while sitting next to the Japanese prime minister.”
Educator Orion noted, “You can hear the air go out of the room.”
“This is another leak in the cognitive damn. Look for increasingly racist comments in the coming weeks. Unless biology steps in and saves us, I have a feeling we’ll hear the N word by the midterms,” predicted Democracy Dude.
“I didn't think he could still make me gasp, but I was wrong,” admitted archivist Rubberband Girl Cheryl McNeilly noted.
“My great-aunt Hisako was a Nagasaki survivor. Great-uncle was a pilot, brought her to US post-war. We saw her regularly till her death when I was 20. Sweet, gentle woman. First rule of the family was to NEVER discuss the war. Ever. Even when cancer finally killed her. The look on the PMs face ...”
Nicole Charky-Chami
March 19, 2026
RAW STORY
MS NOW host Nicolle Wallace reacted to President Donald Trump's bizarre comment on Pearl Harbor and Japan during an Oval Office meeting and press conference with Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi. (MS NOW/Screenshot)
MS NOW host Nicolle Wallace had a frank reaction on Thursday after President Donald Trump made a jaw-dropping comment that shocked people inside the Oval Office during a White House meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi.
Wallace was visibly stunned after discussing Trump's attempted joke that clearly left the room uncomfortable when a reporter asked why Trump hadn't warned his allies that the U.S.-Israeli military strikes were coming.
"One thing, you don't want to signal too much when we go in," Trump said. "We went in very hard and we didn't tell anyone about it because we wanted surprise. Who knows better about surprise than Japan? Why didn't you tell me about Pearl Harbor?"
Wallace watched the video playback and commented on Trump, asking her panel to share their thoughts.
"I struggle every minute of every day with platforming him, one, I should do it all day because it shows what a profound idiot he is," Wallace said. "But but two, we were on other sides. This is a question about why didn't you read in your allies? And he says, we didn't know what our adversary was going to do. I mean, David Frum, what do you even, how's your brain doing?"
Frum, a Canadian-American commentator and former speechwriter, described why Trump's words shocked the Japanese leader and dignitaries visiting America.
"So first, there's probably no society on earth where good manners count for more than Japan, a country that has been — and we're talking about 80 years since the end of World War II, that has been a staunch and loyal ally of the United States for 80 years, where the warmth of person to person ties," Frum said. "But the one big cultural difference has always been the emphasis on decorum and decency and respect in Japanese culture, whereas American culture can be a little more boisterous. For the president of the United States to insult them, and you can watch it, sort of figuring out 'No one is amused by what I just said. Maybe if I say it again, it'll get more amusing the second time. And what if I say right, right, right. And give them a little jab in the ribs? Maybe it'll be funny then.'"
Frum described why it was so surprising — and why it left them silent.
"And it's just horrifying. One more thing that needs to be pointed out in this analogy that he's drawing between the United States and Japan, who's doing the sneak attack?" Frum added. "Oh, yeah. He's comparing the United States to the Japanese sneak attack. He wanted to do a Pearl Harbor on Greenland. Now he wants to do a Pearl Harbor on Iran. He is comparing himself to the people whom Americans normally condemn, and then elbowing the Japanese that they don't think the whole thing is terribly amusing."
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