President Trump responded to a Japanese reporter’s question Thursday about the lack of warning given to America’s allies before the Iran War by asking, “Why didn’t you tell me about Pearl Harbor?”
The tense exchange came during the president’s White House press conference Thursday with Japan Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi. At one point in the press conference, a Japanese reporter stood and asked Trump about his administration’s initial attacks on Iran this year.
“Why didn’t you tell U.S. allies in Europe and Asia, like Japan, about the war before attacking Iran?” the reporter asked, adding, “We are very confused, we, Japanese citizens.” Trump, at first, responded to the question somewhat cordially.
“You don’t want to signal too much, you know?” the president replied. “When we go in, we went in very hard and we didn’t tell anybody about it because we wanted surprise.” It was then, after the latter comment, Trump decided to bring up Japan’s infamous Pearl Harbor attack on the U.S. in December 1941.
“Who knows better about surprise than Japan? Why didn’t you tell me about Pearl Harbor?” the president asked the reporter.
Trump, responding to a Japanese reporter's question about why allies were not informed before the attack on Iran, stated that the US "wanted to surprise them" and added "why didn't you tell me about Pearl Harbor?" pic.twitter.com/7VodXzysFX
— Kordon (@Kordoneuropa) March 19, 2026
Trump’s White House meeting with Takaichi came just three weeks after the start of the Iran War, and after several days of the president placing public pressure on Japan to help the U.S. unblock the Strait of Hormuz. Trump has called on numerous U.S. allies in addition to Japan to help in that effort, but has insisted that Japan’s reliance on imported oil from the Middle East makes clearing the Strait of Hormuz a necessity for the Asian nation.
Takaichi became the first woman to lead Japan when she was elected prime minister last fall. This week marks her first visit to the White House since her election, but while Trump has put pressure on Japan to aid in its war against Iran, the Japanese public is reportedly fiercely opposed to that idea.
The incident Thursday, meanwhile, is one of many tense exchanges that President Trump has had with reporters both domestic and international since he retook office last year. The president has notably singled out reporters like CNN’s Kaitlan Collins multiple times. He also called the New York Times’ Maggie Haberman a “sleazebag” last week and another female journalist a “piggy” last year.
