Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba visited the White House today, where the media was likely anxious over how the meeting went as President Trump races to re-establish American primacy in world affairs after four years of the country being asleep at the wheel. You knew tariffs were going to be brought up at the joint press conference, but here was the general rundown of the meeting (via ABC News):
NEW: Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba announces he will raise Japan’s investment in the United States to 1 trillion dollars. pic.twitter.com/AqDGAdIPxx
— Resist the Mainstream (@ResisttheMS) February 7, 2025
President Donald Trump is meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba in a high-stakes visit for a key ally that depends on the United States for security and trade.
At the top of the agenda is military cooperation to deter threats, foreign investment in the U.S., opportunities to develop technology and American energy exports, according to senior Trump administration officials.
Japan's prime minister will be looking to strike a personal connection with Trump and get reassurance that Trump won't hit Japan with tariffs or abandon its security guarantees. Ishiba faces the challenge of navigating Trump's long-held views that allies take advantage of the U.S. while not paying enough for the cost of American military assistance.
He will likely look to former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who was assassinated in 2022 after he left office. Abe used his personal relationship with Trump to push for Japanese interests and avoid a trade war during Trump's first administration.
"It's a great honor to be with Prime Minister Ishiba of Japan. He's a highly respected man doing a fantastic job," Trump said as he met with Ishiba in the Oval Office. "We have a fantastic relationship. I don't think we'll have any problem whatsoever."
One reporter went there regarding tariffs—Prime Minister Ishiba did not take the bait, adding that he wouldn’t entertain hypotheticals. Even our allies know the games the media plays, so it’s best to give them nothing. Trump loved that answer.
🚨 WHOA: Donald Trump is stunned when the Japanese Prime Minister doesn't fall for a baited question from the fake news media!
— Townhall.com (@townhallcom) February 7, 2025
"That's a very good answer! Very good answer, wow! He knows what he's doing!" pic.twitter.com/UWVPHuihpE
"That's a very good answer! Very good answer, wow! He knows what he's doing!” said the president.
CBS’s @Weijia Jiang: “Mr. President, do you have a reaction to the new Time magazine cover that has Elon Musk sitting behind your Resolute Desk?”
— Curtis Houck (@CurtisHouck) February 7, 2025
President Trump: “No. Is Time magazine still in business? I didn't even know that. Elon is doing a great job. He's finding tremendous… pic.twitter.com/OhviDH4l81
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