Former President Donald Trump proposed new tariffs on Japan during an interview with Fox News host Maria Bartiromo — but appeared to forget the name of Japan’s leader in the process.
Trump said he plans to send letters to several countries as his pause on tariffs expires early next month. Using Japan as an example, he seemed to improvise while referencing its prime minister.
“Dear Mr. Japan: Here’s the story,” Trump said. “You’re going to pay a 25% tariff on your cars.”
Trump, who met Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba in February at the White House, did not mention him by name.
He criticized what he described as an unfair trade relationship, claiming the U.S. imports “millions and millions” of Japanese cars, while Japan buys comparatively few American-made vehicles.
“They won’t take our cars,” he said, adding that Japan could help offset the imbalance by purchasing other U.S. goods, such as oil.
Trump reiterated his long-standing message that tariffs are a tool to push foreign companies to manufacture in the U.S.
“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,” he said in a January statement.
However, industry analysts point out that most Japanese cars sold in the U.S. are already manufactured in American factories — potentially limiting the impact of any new tariffs.
Still, what drew the most attention online was Trump’s offhand greeting to Japan’s leader, “Dear Mr. Japan,” which critics quickly seized on.
“Dear Mr Japan? Trump doesn’t know what or who he is talking about,” former Rep. Barbara Comstock posted on X.
