CNN’s Jake Tapper Fact Checks Trump’s Pearl Harbor Joke to the Japanese PM – Twitchy

Today President Trump met with the Prime Minister of Japan at the White House, and she expressed confidence in his ability to achieve peace: 

👏WATCH — Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi gives high praise to @POTUS

“I firmly believe it is only you, Donald, who can achieve peace across the world.” 🇺🇸🇯🇵 pic.twitter.com/maS6jmJwqS

— Townhall.com (@townhallcom) March 19, 2026

The two leaders also took some questions from the gathered press.

As we told you earlier, Trump was asked why he didn’t give U.S. allies a heads-up before Operation Epic Fury was ordered to begin. Sometimes we think Trump says things just to trigger his TDS-addled detractors on the Left, and this might have been one of those times: 

Q: “Why didn’t you tell U.S. allies…about the war before attacking Iran?”

President Trump: “We wanted surprise. Who knows better about surprise than Japan? Why didn’t you tell me about Pearl Harbor?” pic.twitter.com/esV9iyvMiV

— CSPAN (@cspan) March 19, 2026

Of course the usual anti-Trump Democrats are triggered by what was an obvious joke: 

Twenty-Fifth https://t.co/YHnobQgRFh

— Rep. Eric Swalwell (@RepSwalwell) March 19, 2026

Sure, we need to hear more of that from the same people who insisted Biden was just fine. But the Left’s outrage machine needed more fuel today so this will help provide that. 

Not surprisingly some in the media will pretend not to understand what was said and why, including CNN’s Jake Tapper, who provided a fact check: 

FWIW Prime Minister Takaichi was born 20 years after Pearl Harbor https://t.co/TIpOod3W2I

— Jake Tapper 🦅 (@jaketapper) March 19, 2026

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Really? You mean that lady wasn’t the Emperor of Japan at the start of World War II? We’re shocked… SHOCKED (cue massive eye roll). 

You must be fun at parties.

— MAZE (@mazemoore) March 19, 2026

I think you missed the joke

— Dominic Lynch – White Sox Nihilist (@domineeringDom) March 19, 2026

https://t.co/62BceKC6Qm pic.twitter.com/ZUH0REnjL2

— FilmLadd (@FilmLadd) March 19, 2026

The problem with the left they have zero sense of humor. https://t.co/6DZhfM7Ocb

— Night (@nightjuice) March 19, 2026

Or at least they have to pretend not to in order to try and “fact check” what was clearly a joke. 

*****

Editor’s Note: The mainstream media continues to deflect, gaslight, spin, and lie about President Trump, his administration, and conservatives, all while carrying water for the Democrats. 

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