Trump Meets Up With Japan’s Former PM

(USNewsBreak.com) – Although former President Donald Trump is facing several legal woes, he also has his eye on the White House and is running his campaign while he fights off criminal and civil charges. Yet, he’s also taken time to hold diplomatic meetings with high-profile politicians.

On the evening of Tuesday, April 23, Trump met with Japanese former Prime Minister Tarō Asō at Trump Tower in New York City. The pair reportedly spent an hour together, discussing several global issues, particularly those impacting the Indo-Pacific. In a statement on X, formerly Twitter, the Trump campaign noted that this included “challenges posed by China and North Korea.” The former president also praised Japan for increasing its defense spending.

President Donald Trump met tonight in New York with Taro Aso, former Japanese Prime Minister and current Vice-President of Japan’s governing Liberal Democratic Party.

The two discussed the enduring importance of the US-Japan alliance to both countries’ physical and economic… pic.twitter.com/sVvS2paWuk

— Team Trump (Text TRUMP to 88022) (@TeamTrump) April 24, 2024

However, neither government sanctioned the meeting between the two. One of Japan’s top spokesmen said Asō conducted the meeting “in the capacity of one lawmaker.” Some pundits say the possibility of another Trump term has concerned Japanese leaders due to the possibility of protectionist trade measures and the strain on the traditionally strong defense ties with the US.

In fact, President Joe Biden and Prime Minister Fumio Kishida recently unveiled plans to strengthen the alliance between the two countries. Former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, assassinated in 2022 by a man with a homemade gun, reportedly had a good connection with Trump, who called him a “great man.”

Asō became the second foreign leader to meet with Trump over the last several weeks. On Wednesday, April 17, the former president also met with Polish President Andrzej Duda for approximately 2.5 hours. The two discussed several topics during their time together, particularly focusing on Ukraine.

The Russo-Ukraine conflict has become a dire issue for Duda. Poland borders the war-torn nation. The Polish president reportedly urged Trump to help get the Ukraine aid package passed. The two also discussed NATO and alliance members increasing their defense spending.

Trump also met with British Foreign Secretary David Cameron earlier this year and spoke by phone with both Bahrain’s King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.