U.S. President Donald Trump on Thursday, March 19, drew a controversial comparison between American strikes on Iran and Pearl Harbor attack, during a meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi in Washington.
Responding to a question about why allies were not informed ahead of the strikes, Trump said, “We wanted surprise. Who knows better about surprise than Japan? Why didn’t you tell me about Pearl Harbor?”
“You believe in surprise, I think much more so than us,” he added.
The remarks appeared to catch Takaichi off guard, as she reacted with visible discomfort during the Oval Office meeting.
The Pearl Harbor attack on December 7, 1941, by Japan killed 2,390 Americans and led the United States to enter World War II. Then-President Franklin D. Roosevelt famously described it as “a date which will live in infamy.”
Meeting in the Oval Office, President Trump made a joke about Pearl Harbor to Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi.
"Who knows better about surprise than Japan?" asked Trump. "Why didn't you tell me about Pearl Harbor?" pic.twitter.com/YSWgNluPfD— The Washington Post (@washingtonpost) March 19, 2026
The United States later defeated Japan in 1945 following atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, which resulted in massive civilian casualties.
Trump’s comments sparked mixed reactions in Tokyo, with some residents describing the comparison as uncomfortable given the historical context, while others viewed it as a joke.
One Tokyo resident said the Japanese leader had been placed in a difficult position and handled the situation carefully, while another noted that referencing such a sensitive historical event was unsettling.
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