Photo/Illutration In a picture posted on X, U.S. President Joe Biden and Prime Minister Fumio Kishida ride in the presidential limousine in Washington on April 10. (From the X account of U.S. President Joe Biden)

With Prime Minister Fumio Kishida suffering from low approval ratings and an uncertain re-election, some in his ruling Liberal Democratic Party are saying he should follow the lead of U.S. President Joe Biden.

Under similar circumstances, Biden announced on July 21 that he will drop his re-election bid.

A former Cabinet member who belongs to the LDP said, “Biden is out and Kishida should retire quickly and honorably, too.”

Biden's exit from the race came only days after former President Donald Trump secured the Republican Party nomination. 

Toshimitsu Motegi, the LDP secretary-general who is eager to run in the LDP presidential race in September against Kishida, mentioned the former president in a speech on July 22. 

“When I was once in charge of Japan-U.S. trade negotiations (as state minister in charge of economic revitalization), Trump told me, ‘Motegi is tough.’ I think he appreciated me well,” he said.

According to a source, Taro Aso, LDP vice president, introduced Motegi to Trump when he met with the former president in the United States in April.

Another former Cabinet member who belongs to the LDP said, “The job of prime minister can only be filled by someone who can deal with a heavyweight president. (Biden’s withdrawal) will have an impact on the LDP presidential election as well.”

Kishida has said little about Biden’s decision to exit the race for the White House and endorse Vice President Kamala Harris for the Democratic Party nomination.

“I recognize that it is his desire to make the best political decision,” the prime minister said on July 22.

Kishida said about the course of the presidential election, “I will keep a close eye on future developments.”

Biden, who has emphasized the U.S.-Japan alliance, took office in 2021 after defeating Trump in his bid for re-election.

Biden pivoted from Trump’s “America First” policy and has focused on building multilateral security cooperation between Japan-U.S.-South Korea and Japan-U.S.-Philippines, in addition to the QUAD strategic dialogue between Japan, the United States, Australia and India.

A senior Foreign Ministry official said, “Biden has prioritized the Indo-Pacific region and has built up a framework for multilateral cooperation.”

Kishida and Biden met in Tokyo for the first time in May 2022 in a full-fledged meeting.

Kishida promised to fundamentally strengthen Japan's defense capabilities and considerably increase defense spending.

At the end of the year, the Kishida administration approved three security-related documents at a Cabinet meeting that included possessing the capability to attack enemy bases and increasing defense spending.

The decision was welcomed by the Biden administration, which sought to expand Japan’s role in the Japan-U.S. alliance.

The relationship between the two leaders peaked in April this year when Kishida traveled to the United States on a state visit.

They affectionally called each other “Fumio” and “Joe.”

A picture of the two smiling as they rode together in the presidential limousine was posted on Biden’s X account.

Kishida gave a speech to the U.S. Congress in which he said, “Japan is with the United States.”

Later, Kishida said Biden told him during the visit that "he fears freedom and democracy will end if Trump wins, and that he is determined to fight for the presidency because of that fear and he cannot afford to lose.”

In the meantime, the Kishida administration has also been eyeing Trump’s possible return to power.

In October 2023, Kishida appointed Shigeo Yamada, a former Foreign Ministry top official who had built a relationship with former senior officials working in the Trump administration, as ambassador to the United States.

Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi said at a news conference on July 22, “The important thing is to make necessary policy adjustments with the U.S. government regardless of the outcome of the presidential election.”

(This article was written by Keishi Nishimura and Anri Takahashi)

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