President Donald Trump joked about the 1941 bombing of Pearl Harbor during a meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi.
The awkward moment came after a reporter asked Trump why he didn't inform U.S. allies before authorizing the Feb. 28 attack on Iran
"We didn't tell anyone about it, because we wanted surprise," Trump President Donald Trump was met with an awkward pause from Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi on Thursday, March 19, after he made a joke about her nation's 1941 bombing of Pearl Harbor.. "Who knows better about surprise than Japan?"
As Trump, 79, continues to seek allies' support in the U.S. and Israel's war with Iran, he hosted Takaichi, 65, in the Oval Office. Trump has encouraged Japan to help defend the Strait of Hormuz, a critical shipping path for oil, from Iranian threats.
During the meeting, the two nations' leaders responded to reporters' questions together.