Donald Trump is attempting to coerce America’s allies into taking responsibility for a war he misjudged and initiated without a clear purpose.
His meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi was predictably awkward.
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During the meeting, Trump appeared as a desperate and erratic leader struggling to manage the situation he created.
Trump stated he expects Japan to “step up.”
A Japanese media member asked, “President, you just mentioned Japan is stepping up. What kind of help do you expect from Japan in the future?”
Trump replied:
I expect Japan to step up because we have that kind of relationship. We support Japan with 45,000 soldiers stationed there.
We invest a lot in Japan, so it’s not surprising they would step up. We don’t need much from Japan or anyone else. I believe it’s appropriate for others to contribute.
Japan receives over 90% of its oil through the Strait, which is a major reason to step up. We’ve nearly demolished that country, except for the Strait. It’s challenging; even two people could disrupt it by dropping small bombs in the water.
We want to prevent that. Japan, China, and parts of Europe rely heavily on oil trade through the Strait; we use less than 1%. We don’t need any of it. We do it to be considerate, but we don’t rely on the Strait.
We’re defending the Strait for everyone else. NATO doesn’t want to help defend it, even though they need it. Now, they’re acting nicer because they’re seeing my stance, but as far as I’m concerned, it’s too late.
Video:
What Trump omitted was that the Strait of Hormuz wasn’t an issue until he initiated conflict with Iran.
Trump isn’t defending the Strait; he’s the reason it’s closed.
This wasn’t the worst part of the event.
