Photo/Illutration Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba with U.S. President Donald Trump at the White House on Feb. 7 (Kotaro Ebara)

Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba had nothing but praise for U.S. President Donald Trump during their first face-to-face meeting at the White House.

Ishiba began the Feb. 7 talks by pointing to an iconic photo taken last July moments after a gunman intent on assassination bloodied Trump in the ear during a campaign stop in Pennsylvania.

Calling the photo “one that will remain in history,” Ishiba added, “I thought that you must certainly have felt then that you were one chosen by God.”

The photo shows Trump thrusting his fist into the air with the American flag flying in the background while shouting, “Fight, Fight!”

Ishiba also touched upon the honeymoon period Trump had with the late Shinzo Abe, a former prime minister who was slain in a shooting in Japan in 2022.

Trump invited Abe’s widow, Akie, to his lavish Florida retreat last December.

Ishiba told Trump he had received a copy of a book by him through Akie in which he had written “Peace.”

“I was deeply impressed by what you wrote,” Ishiba said.

The prime minister also offered a unique interpretation of Trump’s political slogan “Make America Great Again.”

While it is generally viewed by Democrats as a right-wing movement that tramples on liberal thought, Ishiba said, “(The slogan) is based on deep compassion for the forgotten people.”

Ishiba maintained a very serious expression throughout the joint news conference with Trump, often turning toward the president and speaking much slower than he normally does at such gatherings.

Trump was hunched over and often nodded at what Ishiba said.

Ishiba appeared intent on staying on Trump’s good side as Tokyo officials still view the president as unpredictable.

Ishiba has previously stated that Japan should face the United States on an equal footing and called for revising the Japan-U.S. Status of Forces Agreement.

Despite the praise heaped on Trump by Ishiba, there were a few instances of his past views emerging.

Regarding defense policy, Ishiba said: “We are not increasing defense spending because we are told to do so by the United States. Japan should make such a decision on its own responsibility for the sake of Japan.”

After the approximately 110-minute meeting, which included a working lunch, Ishiba said at the joint news conference that the two nations would cooperate so Japanese companies, including automakers and those in advanced technologies, can increase their investment in the United States to an unprecedented $1 trillion (about 151 trillion yen).

The two leaders also agreed that Japan would increase its purchases of liquified natural gas from the United States.

At the news conference, Ishiba said the move would provide Japan with a stable and reasonable supply of energy as well as contribute to reducing the trade deficit with the United States.

Ishiba and Trump also confirmed their shared view of expanded defense cooperation to deal with China’s growing military assertiveness in the Pacific region.

(Shun Suzuki contributed to this article.)

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