This clip has been all over the socials and news today, so surely you’ve seen it. Surely you’ve seen it, so you don’t have to watch it here, right? You wouldn’t anyway because buffering, right?
I first saw it this morning when Ma Belle Femme had it playing on her computer. At first I thought it was SNL or some deep fake.
A Japanese reporter asks him about why he didn’t consult or inform his allies in Europe and Japan about the attack on Iran. He explains that the Japanese people are very confused about this point.
Hearing him say, “Nobody knows better about surprise than Japan,” nearly floored me. I couldn’t believe even El Gran Jefe Estupido would say something so tone deaf and gauche. I literally held my breath and instinctively looked at the Prime Ministers face.
I thought it would stop. He wouldn’t go on to painful and obvious remarks, but he did. “Why didn’t you tell me about Pearl Harbor?” he asks the reporter.
Trump loves him a surprise. He tells reporters all the time that he won’t tell them about what he’s going to do next… before he tells them about what he’s going to do. He thinks he is being crazy like a fox but he’s more foolish as Brer Fox (from the African-American folktale traditions like in Song of the South). Now that’s what I call the very model of a modern major jenius! Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah Zip-a-Dee-Day, motherfucker! To channel John MC Lane.
Invoking Pearl Harbor to the Japanese Prime Minister’s face! The Japanese are known for the reserve of their emotional expression. They practice the art of tatenae, the public facade of calm meant to avoid confrontation. But, no human being alive could so master their reaction to massive faux pas that Trump was laying down so as it wouldn’t be visible to the studied observer. Luckily, we have it on video tape.
While the reporter slowly died and their soul withered away, she kept her composure. As the reporter asks the question, she is looking at one of her ministers on the couch next to her or perhaps the reporter. She gives a little shoulder shrug and slight smile. But, as Trump says, “Who knows more about surprise than Japan,” she smiles and gives a little laugh along with several other people in the room. There probably wasn’t enough time to make the Pearl Harbor connection or there was disbelief that he could be making such a reference.
As he continues his response by asking, “Why didn’t you tell me about Pearl Harbor?” she leans back and her eyes widen. She suppresses a smile and steals a glance at Trump. She seems to look back and forth from her entourage to Trump while keeping her eyes low. She’s avoiding accidental eye contact, especially with any of Trump’s cabinet members — Vance, Rubio, and Hegseth — who were sitting across from her. Her eyes look like quotation marks as if she’s trying to bracket Trump’s agonizing remarks in scare quotes.
Like a horror movie, Trump won’t shut up, and her face betrays that tension of wishing he would. She has that embarrassed smile that people get in these situations. Perhaps the most important detail of her response, though, is her increased blink rate and the movement of her eyes up and down as she looks back at the Japanese delegation, almost as if signaling them to maintain their composure. Like she’s telling them to remain quiet and still and it will be over in a moment.
If you want to watch the entire debacle — gawd Trump can make some cringe worthy statements — sometimes you just want the man to shut up — anywho, follow the link to the CSPAN coverage. The Pearl Harbor suprise attack remarks come at about the 24:06 mark. He makes an oblique reference to using nukes, maybe (?), in Iran at about the 15:00 mark.
Well, that’s my two cents worth on one of the most ridiculous and catastrophic diplomatic moments in world history saved only by the superhuman restraint of Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi. I’d love to hear what you think of that remarkable interaction in the White House in the comments.
Image Attribution
The image was found on rawpixel and has a Creative Commons license.
The Psy of Life 
He’s a fucking asshole & he always was. & he was elected by people who like the fact that he’s a fucking asshole. He’s THEIR fucking asshole. I have as little to do with any of those people, even the ones in my own family. Especially the ones in my own family. They should have known better.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Howdy Silver!
He’s like a moth drawn to a flame. His dementia makes his associations and blurting real problems. He just can’t manage his emotions or his words anymore. And, his narcissism means he will not be constrained by anything like decorum.
His authoritarian instinct pushes him to align with other authoritarians, like the Japanese Empire of WWII. He cast us in the role of Japan, saying we Pearl Harbored Iran. He doesn’t trust our allies to keep our secrets, which is ironic since he is the one that is selling their secrets.
He put the ASS in asshole.
Huzzah!
Jack
LikeLiked by 1 person
Back when I was a dancer, I used to dance for groups of men who were generally all nice guys but there was always one dude who was always a flaming asshole. & I was always amazed that, instead of telling him to STFU, to stop being such a jerk, they PROTECTED him. He was THEIR asshole. This is Trump on a national level.
It’s really sad but it makes sense. So many people who I genuinely like voted for this guy. He’s THEIR asshole.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Howdy Silver!
That is that misogynistic toxic masculinity. Men do that. Bros before hos, I think is the saying.
When I worked in China there was a gross sex pest of a teacher there that most of the young men hung out with and admired. They would go drinking and laugh at his gross sex petting when he sent dick pics to female faculty members and other women they met. In fact, I was a bit ostracized for vowing to see him put in a Chinese prison. Unfortunately, he left before I could make good on the threat.
My theory is that all men are rapists, it just depends on the situation. Fortunately, most of us have very few situations in which we will.
Huzzah!
Jack
LikeLike
I think we were seeing one of the reasons this woman is the first of her gender to become PM of Japan. I’m reminded that, contrary to the usual image, there were female Samurai.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Watching her exchanging looks with the people in her delegation was the only saving grace in the whole disgraceful affair.
LikeLike
I have watched it many times….I cannot believe the stupidity of the man…..his brain is seldom loaded before he fires off his mouth….a total disgrace. chuq
LikeLiked by 1 person
Howdy Chuq!
His dementia, narcissism, and authoritarianism all exacerbate his blurting problem. He just can’t manage his emotions or his mouth. His dementia causes his associations and emotions — worsened by his bigotry and misogyny — completely out of control. He was sitting on the Pearl Harbor association for the entire meeting. It is probably the only thing he “knows” about Japan. His narcissism means he won’t be constrained by anything, especially norms, expectations, and decorum. His authoritarianism means he aligns with other authoritarians like WWII Japan, so he cast us in the role of Japan in Pearl Harbor when we attacked Iran. We Pearl Harbored Iran, according to him. And, he doesn’t trust our allies not to sell our secrets because that’s what he’s doing. It is projection.
Huzzah!
Jack
LikeLike