“The Daily Show” roasted the Pearl Harbor joke Donald Trump made in front Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, suggesting an American hasn’t bombed “that badly” since World War II.
During Thursday’s monologue for “The Daily Show,” host Jordan Klepper weighed in on the now viral moment, in which Trump responded to a Japanese reporter’s question about the lack of warning before the Iran War by asking, “Why didn’t you tell me about Pearl Harbor?”
“We are now almost three weeks into the war in Iran, and it’s not going great,” Klepper started off. “Oil prices are surging. Our planes are getting shot out of the sky. And now Pete Hegseth is asking for an extra $200 billion dollars to fight this war — and they say women be shopping, huh?”
He continued: “And on top of all of this, our allies are angry that Trump started this war without consulting them. But, of course, President Trump is smoothing things over with his trademark charm.”
At this moment, “The Daily Show” aired the tense exchange between the Japanese reporter and Trump, which prompted a noticeable side-eye from Prime Minister Takaichi.
“Because we wanted surprise,” the president said in the clip. “Who knows better about surprise than Japan, OK? Why didn’t you tell me about Pearl Harbor?”
After “The Daily Show” studio audience erupted into shocked laughter over Trump’s remark, Klepper shared a closeup of Takaichi’s reaction and noted, “Wow. The Japanese prime minister did not like that joke.”
“I haven’t seen an American bomb in front of Japan that badly since … you get the idea,” he added, clearly referencing the controversial atomic bombings of WW II. “I will give Trump credit, though. He didn’t do a Japanese accent. So let’s call that progress.”
Watch Klepper’s full monologue above.
“The Daily Show” airs weeknights at 11 p.m. ET on Comedy Central.
