In a moment that’s quickly gone viral, President Donald Trump responded to a reporter’s question about international diplomacy with a historical reference that has social media buzzing.
During a White House meeting with Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi of Japan, a reporter asked why the U.S. informed Iran before Japan regarding a recent international issue. Trump, seated across from a Japanese official, fired back with a rhetorical jab: “Why didn’t you tell me about Pearl Harbor?”
The reference, of course, points to the surprise attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941, a moment that drew the United States into World War II. Social media quickly lit up with reactions, from laughter at the audacity of the comparison to criticism over invoking such a serious historical tragedy.
