Donald Trump has endorsed Japan's Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi ahead of a snap election in her country on Sunday. Takaichi has already proven to be a strong, powerful, and wise leader... one that truly loves her country, the US president wrote in a Truth Social post on Thursday, adding: She will not let the people of Japan down!
While it is rare for US presidents to publicly back candidates in foreign elections, Trump has done so before, endorsing Argentina's Javier Milei and Hungary's Viktor Orban most recently. Takaichi has courted the US president as Tokyo seeks more stability in its relationship with Washington, its closest ally, in the wake of Trump's tariffs.
Trump had threatened a 25% tariff initially, but Japan then struck a deal in July to invest $550bn (£407bn) in the US. In exchange, Washington lowered import levies to 15%.
Takaichi, 64, became PM in October after she won the leadership race in her party and secured enough support in parliament. However, she called for last month's election to seek a public mandate.
Just one week after she took office, Tokyo rolled out the red carpet for Trump, deploying a full military guard of honour and band to welcome him at the Akasaka Palace, the government's state guesthouse.
It was her diplomatic debut, and the optics were striking: Takaichi aboard the aircraft carrier USS George Washington, fists pumping as the US president praised her in front of thousands of US soldiers, with images broadcast worldwide.
They heaped compliments on each other during the visit and signed a deal on rare earths, as well as a document heralding a new golden age of US-Japan relations. Takaichi described Trump as a partner in a new golden era, praising his role in bringing peace to the Middle East.
Trump's post, which signals that Takaichi is a leader his administration would work with, is a message aimed not only at Japanese voters but also the region, especially China. Beijing and Tokyo are in the middle of a diplomatic rift, hitting their historically tense relationship's lowest point in over a decade.
Takaichi found herself the target of China's ire in November when she made comments suggesting that Japan could respond with its own self-defence force if China attacked Taiwan, a self-governing island it has long claimed. Takaichi has since refused to retract the statement.
Trump's endorsement of her comes as tensions between them continue and just a day after he spoke with China's leader Xi Jinping. Xi emphasized that Taiwan was China's territory and urged the US to be cautious when supplying weapons to the island.
Polls predict a landslide for Takaichi, but winning the election will only be the first challenge. Her leadership will be defined by how she manages Japan's stagnant economy, as well as delicate relationships with the US, its most critical security ally, and China, its largest trading partner.
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