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‘Was Trump born then?’: Pearl Harbor joke at Japan PM meeting goes off track, sparks row
Trump joked about Pearl Harbor during a Japan meeting, sparking backlash online as users noted he was born in 1946, nearly five years after the 1941 attack.
President Donald Trump at his Thursday meeting with Japan's Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi cracked a joke on the Pearl Harbor attack in 1941, after he was asked by a reporter why he did not inform "allies like Japan" before attacking Iran.
The reporter asked Trump about the US-Israeli strike in Iran at the joint press conference, saying: "Why didn't you tell U.S. allies…like Japan, about the war before attacking Iran?"
The POTUS replied: "We didn't tell anyone about it. Who knows better about surprise than Japan? Why didn't you tell me about Pearl Harbor, OK?"
However, the intended joke landed slightly off track as social media questioned if Trump was even born when the Pearl Harbor attack by Japan on December 7, 1941, occurred. Notably, Donald Trump was born five years after the Pearl Harbor attack on June 14, 1946.
“How dare they not tell Trump about Pearl Harbor 5 years before he’s born. Damn it Japan. Not cool! Donald Trump was not alive during the attack on Pearl Harbor,” one user wrote.
“Bro! Trump wasn't even born in 1941 when Pearl Harbor was attacked by Japan😂😂😂😂,” added one.
“It’s actually scary that he’s not kidding. He probably really thinks he should have been told about Pearl Harbor in 1941 even though he wasn’t born yet,” said one.
“This sounds insane but it's even more insane when you realize Donny T was born just 5 years after the attack on Pearl Harbor,” joked one.
The Pearl Harbor attack was a surprise military strike by Japan on December 7, 1941, at Pearl Harbor on the island of Oʻahu in Hawaii. It targeted the US Pacific Fleet at the harbor, destroying ships and aircraft. The attack led the US to enter World War II the next day.
Also read: Trump makes awkward Pearl Harbor joke in front of Japanese PM when asked about Iran strikes - Watch
Japan PM Sanae Takaichi Speaks On Iran War
Thursday's meeting was PM Sanae Takaichi's first visit to the White House since she was elected to office in October 2025. The 65-year-old condemned the actions of Iran in the ongoing conflict, including the closure of the Strait of Hormuz. She urged Trump to “calm down” the energy markets amid the crisis due to the Strait of Hormuz closure.
“Iran’s development of nuclear weapons must never be allowed,” she said. “That is why we, Japan, have been urging them and also reaching out to other partners in the world.”
