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The thing is, Pearl Harbor happened five years before Trump was even born.
An unexpected moment unfolded at the White House during a high-level meeting between the United States and Japan.
What began as a diplomatic exchange quickly drew attention for a historical comparison.
During talks with Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi on Thursday, US President Donald Trump defended recent American strikes on Iran, according to Reuters.
When asked by a Japanese reporter, why allies had not been informed in advance, he pointed to the element of surprise.
“We wanted surprise. Who knows better about surprise than Japan? Why didn’t you tell me about Pearl Harbor?” Trump said.
“You believe in surprise, I think much more so than us.”
The clip quickly gained traction on social media with Eric Trump resharing the moment. Article continues below.
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Historical weight
Takaichi appeared visibly uncomfortable, reacting with widened eyes and a shift in posture as the remark referenced Japan’s 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor.
The attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, killed 2,390 Americans and pushed the United States into World War Two. Then-President Franklin D. Roosevelt described it as “a date which will live in infamy.”
The war ended in 1945 after U.S. atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki caused massive civilian casualties.
Donald Trump was born on June 14, 1946, the year after the end of World War II and five years after the attack on Pearl Harbor.
Sources: Posts on social media, Reuters, TV 2
