WASHINGTON ¨C Shortly after President Donald Trump mused Friday over imposing tariffs on Japan while sitting alongside the country¡¯s prime minister, Shigeru Ishiba, the Japanese leader was asked by a reporter to reflect on his first meeting with Trump. It was a prime opportunity to respond to Trump¡¯s economic threat.
Instead, Ishiba took a different tack ¡ª becoming the latest foreign leader to fawn over, rather than flout, the American president.
¡°I was so excited to see such a celebrity on television,¡± Ishiba said, prompting Trump to turn to him and smile from ear to ear. ¡°On television he is frightening, and he has a very strong personality, but when I met with him, actually, he was very sincere and very powerful, and with strong will for the United States.¡±
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