President Donald Trump forecast that the United States-Japan relationship “will be stronger than ever before” during his state visit on Tuesday and congratulated newly minted Prime Minister Takaichi Sanae.
Trump and top cabinet officials met with Takaichi at the Akasaka Palace in Tokyo.
“I have always had a great love of Japan and a great respect of Japan, and I will say that this will be a relationship that will be stronger than ever before,” Trump said. “And I look forward to working with you.”
Trump pledged that the United States, under his leadership, would always be there for Japan.
“On behalf of our country, I want to just let you know: Anytime you have any question, any doubt, anything you want, any favors you need, anything I can do to help Japan, we will be there. We are an ally at the strongest level,” he said
Trump said moments earlier that former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who was assassinated in 2022, spoke highly of Takaichi to him.
“Shinzo Abe was a great friend of mine, and I was very saddened to see what happened. It was so shocking, but he spoke so well of you, even before we knew what was going to happen, and your ascension,” Trump said.
“I’m not surprised to see that you are now the prime minister, and he would be very happy to know that,” he added.
Takaichi, of the conservative Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), became Japan’s first woman prime minister just one week ago, on October 21.
“That’s a big deal, and I want to congratulate you on that. I think that has to be called out, and you’re going to do a fantastic job, and we’re going to have a fantastic relationship. Thank you very much,” Trump said.
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