Trump cracks Pearl Harbor joke in meeting with Japanese PM

President Donald Trump on Thursday made a joke referencing the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941 during a meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi.

The pair met in the Oval Office and fielded questions from reporters, one of whom asked why Washington had not informed Tokyo of its plans to attack Iran.

"We went in very hard. We didn't tell anybody about it because we wanted surprise," he said. "Who knows better about surprise than Japan? Why didn't you tell me about Pearl Harbor."

The joke drew laughs from reporters, though Takaichi remained silent and appeared somewhat uncomfortable.

Dec. 7, 1941 saw the Empire of Japan launch a surprise attack against the American naval forces stationed in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. The event led to the U.S.'s entry into World War II.

Ben Whedon is the Chief Political Correspondent at Just the News. Follow him on X.