Donald Trump has a history of saying the wrong thing at the wrong time and the president let his intrusive thoughts out once again after making an offensive joke at the White House.
While some folks over in the US have become accustomed to the 79-year-old's way of speaking and thinking, it can often lead to some embarrassing moments when he's hosting leaders from other countries.
Since his return to office, we've seen his baffling argument with Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy about not wearing a suit and tie, while South African president Cyril Ramaphosa was treated to 'video evidence' of genocide in his own country.
We've also seen Trump congratulated Liberian president Joseph Boakai on his 'beautiful' command of the English language, despite English being the official language of the West African country.
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Even with that history, it was still shocking for Japanese reporters and prime minister Sanae Takaichi yesterday when Trump made a joke about Pearl Harbor in front of the whole room.
When asked by a reporter about why the US didn’t share their Iran war plans with Japan, Trump said that it was necessary for it to be a surprise joking, “Why didn't you tell me about Pearl Harbour?”
He added: "You believe in surprise much more-so than US!"
However, the president didn't quite get the reception that he was hoping for with his joke and it was instead met with stony silence.
On December 7, 1941, Japan launched a surprise attack on the US naval base Pearl Harbor, killing over 2000 Americans and destroying over 200 aircrafts and warships, a move which saw the US abandon its neutrality and enter World War Two the following day.
Fortunately however, it seems as if the relationship between the US and Japan is in a far better place in 2026, despite Trump's recent slip up and Japan's admission that it will not be joining the Iran war.
Sanae Takaichi, who won a landslide election victory last month, even declared that she and Trump were 'best buddies' and suggested that 'Japan is back'.
She did suggest that Japan would be keen to help out with the ongoing issue at the Strait of Hormuz, which has been blocked off by Iranian forces, causing oil prices to skyrocket.
However, Japan is unable to currently do so, as its ability to deploy military forces overseas is still limited by the constitution drafted for Japan by the United States.
She said: “While the conversation was of a sensitive nature, the consensus was that ensuring the safety of the Strait of Hormuz is of the utmost importance.
"However, there are certain actions we can and cannot take within the scope of Japanese law, so I provided a detailed and thorough explanation of this matter.”
Topics: Donald Trump
James Moorhouse