'Insane': Trump's Baffling New Comments On Japan Leave Critics Aghast

President Donald Trump suggested new tariffs on Japan ― but then spaced on the name of the nation’s leader. Trump told Fox News host Maria Bartiromo he would be sending out letters as his pause on tariffs ends early next month, and cited Japan as an example. Rather than name Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba ― who he met in February at the White House ― Trump appeared to improvise as he described the letter. “Dear Mr. Japan: Here’s the story,” Trump said. “You’re going to pay a 25% tariff on your cars.” He said it’s “not fair” that the United States takes “millions and millions” of Japanese cars, while Japan takes comparatively few cars from U.S. automakers. “They won’t take our cars,” Trump said, and suggested that Japan could fix that deficit with other purchases from the United States, such as oil.Trump has said in the past that his tariffs are a way to get companies, including overseas companies, to increase production in the United States. “My message to every business in the world is very simple: Come make your product in America, and we will give you among the lowest taxes of any nation on Earth,” Trump said in January. However, the vast majority of Japanese cars sold in the United States are already built in the United States, making them less likely to be impacted by the threat of new tariffs.But it was the opening of his hypothetical letter to Japanese leaders ― the “Dear Mr. Japan” ― that got his critics fired up on X: Dear Mr Japan? Trump doesn’t know what or who he is talking about https://t.co/F1cloDNDEk— Barbara Comstock (@BarbaraComstock) June 29, 2025If President Biden started a sentence with "Dear Mr. Japan," Republicans would never shut up about it and "25th Amendment" is all they'd be talking about.This is fucking INSANE. pic.twitter.com/uNPuNEV7yR— BrooklynDad_Defiant!☮️ (@mmpadellan) June 29, 2025Imagine if Joe Biden forgot the name of the Japanese prime minister and called him Mr Japan. I'm sure everyone would be really normal about it.— Centrism Fan Acct 🔹 (@Wilson__Valdez) June 29, 2025Fact: Japan manufactures more cars in US than it imports to US. Japan has some $700 billion invested in US, employs close to 1 million Americans.Ignorance is strength. https://t.co/TgYkgGGO2Z— Robert Manning (@Rmanning4) June 29, 2025BREAKING: Trump has no clue who the Prime Minister of Japan is so he calls him “Mr. Japan” in the interview. How can you negotiate with somebody if you don’t know their name? pic.twitter.com/saKnV6NEFP— Trump Lie Tracker (Commentary) (@MAGALieTracker) June 29, 2025The same conversation in which he said, "I'm going to send letters, that's the end of the trade deal. I could send one to Japan. Dear Mr. Japan..." His brain is peanut butter.— Leslie Jones (@Spiker715) June 29, 2025"Dear Mr. Japan"Is Jake Tapper in the house?— Bo Gardiner (@BoGardiner1) June 29, 2025Dear Mr. Japan? pic.twitter.com/eUQZBlhv9D— Wu Tang is for the Children (@WUTangKids) June 29, 2025For the millionth time:(1) "We" don't give Japan cars - private companies make and endeavor to sell them. And private Japanese individuals, not "Japan," have been decling to buy them.(2) Japan pays US tariffs with the money given by American citizens when they buy those cars. https://t.co/HtTGyg46Al— Michael Hausam (@MPHaus) June 29, 2025Dear Mr. Japan, while hilarious, is like what in the fuck? https://t.co/nvxkIf6z2t— Jason Diamond (@jasondiamond) June 29, 2025this dude really said “dear mr japan” https://t.co/E7zyKzJDAT— sane (@sanelofi) June 30, 2025Who tf is Mr. Japan https://t.co/keqYdSATM3— Jen Monroe (@thatjenmonroe) June 29, 2025Domo arrigato mr. Roboto— Mark Stephen Levy ✍️ (@TheRealMarkLevy) June 29, 2025Dear Mr Japan, here's the story...If he wasn't the leader of the free world and, as such wasn't embarrassing our entire country, this shit would be hilarious https://t.co/Mgja1qSh2s— MothGrrrrl 🩷💛💙🏳️🌈 (@Be_la74071) June 29, 2025

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