Michitaka Kaiya, a staff writer in the Political News Department of The Yomiuri Shimbun. The administration of Prime Minister Fumio Kishida is watching the U.S. presidential primaries with concern because they see an increasing chance of former President Donald Trump becoming the Republican presidential nominee and going on to win the 2024 election.
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There is growing recognition of the urgent need to prepare for the possible coming of a second Trump administration, especially since former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who had a close relationship with Trump during his presidency, died two years ago.
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Gene Hennigh
Eh, Trump's all right I suppose. A little too woke for me.
TaiwanIsNotChina
Well one thing is for sure: better strengthen the SDF.
dagon
Appropriate since both were useless parasites on the public weal.
Abe with his Olympics and corruption and corporate tax cuts.
Trump with his Wall and corruption and corporate tax cuts.
Birds of a feather.
Unfortunately Americans have to deal with a return of the incompetent authoritarian in person.
Japanese just have to deal with the LDP suits following the same neo-lib policies under different names like "New Capitalism".
The zero choice democracies of the US and Japan are all just symptoms of late stage capitalism.
Yuuju
If Trump is elected thats the beginning of the end
FizzBit
If Trump is elected the warmongers will hopefully crawl under their rocks for a while.
Chico3
Not going to happen. Hopefully the American citizens are not dumb enough to vote for a broke, criminal, grifter, and bully guy.
TaiwanIsNotChina
I, too, hope that Xi and Putin crawl under rocks but I am not counting on it.
Tamarama
So the US is going to double down on Trump, eh?
What's actually happened to that country???
Astonishing.
First15
What did Trump do while in office to piss you people off?
dagon
If you do not have eyes or family in the US Google is your friend.
https://www.epi.org/blog/the-trump-administration-was-ruining-the-pre-covid-19-19-economy-too-just-more-slowly/
Abe was in the same mold.
https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/japan-confronts-rising-inequality-after-abenomics-2021-10-12/
browny1
First 15 - the list is too long.
The constant bullying, infantile character assassination, lying ad infinitum, and disgusting comments made about veterans are but a sample of what irked most.
Using the Presidency as his own personal bastion with his self-perceived "Lordship" status to dictate, thinking that he had powers like his mate Kim. These powers included making decisions like appointing family members to important posts like good old Jared K, a rich real estate guy as senior adviser on the Middle East. Like WTH.
Tons of others.
But the straw that broke the backs of many was - and is - the Fake Election debacle. His inability to suffer a loss gracefully, step back and re-evaluate his next moves carefully and thoughtfully.
But No! He had to stir up a rampage amongst his supporters based on denialism and falsities, dragging along a Band of Misfits along the way from Pillow Man to Kraken Girl in his rage against reality.
And finally ftm, his acute lack of knowledge in domestic and world affairs and understanding of even basic concepts while pretending to be a genius.
GBR48
Trump will charge extra for US bases in Japan. And expect more compliancy, perhaps at the expense of JP/CN trade.
Moonraker
Don't worry, Michitaka, he won't be legitimate anyway because the electoral system is rigged, according to Trump himself, so all democracy has been thoroughly and catastrophically undermined in the country, even if he wins. For a man of great honour, it will be enormously hard for him to accept the presidency until the reliability of the system is universally validated (perhaps with independent observers). And his sycophantic entourage will have to go along with that because they have also been saying for years that the system is rigged. And the people who opposed him will never go back to accepting his legitimacy until he has implemented such a corrective.
kohakuebisu
Which warmongers though? Support for Ukraine may dry up, but I doubt it will for Israel.
Trump also says lots of belligerent things about China. Picking a fight with China is 100% against Japan's interests.
Redemption
His strategy against China seems to have worked.
Cephus
Trump by far better than the current alternative. They only whine about the situation in Venezuela yet they are doing the same in the name of saving democracy pathetic!!!
First15
Trunp was "ruining" the economy by having lower gas prices, lower tax rates, lower inflation rates...lower everything? Are you absolutely mental?
I really don't care about Abe except for all the memes about having kids.
So Trump never actually did anything is what you're telling me?
Do you guys not realize that your hatred over the guy has nothing to do with anything he actually did?
TaiwanIsNotChina
He was previously restrained by some sense of what would be needed to get reelected. Now we should take him at his word that he will try to the use the National Guard against protestors and defund cities. Also the surrender abroad policy is quite real.
browny1
First15 - Thanks for your reply.
Your question was what pissed of folks about Trump in office.
I gave you some reasons. You didn't specify what category they had to come under.
As for all of his "achievements". Many came about from circumstances that would have aided any president.
Just one example of many, he loves to say how he took over a destroyed economy from Obama - but in fact he was gifted a rising economy. When confronted with his first real domestic crisis - Covid - he flipped and flopped like a fish out of water. So many weak decisions, so many mistakes - but anything that didn't go right - well that's just the fault of everyone else not his lordship. When actually asked if he bears any responsibility for some of the inadequate actions/ decisions taken he simply said "No". Down right Presidential - no!
But I'm not so interested in listing all of his misses - they are well documented and easy to locate.
My main point is that any political leader of a country, let alone the leader of the world's most powerful nation - a democracy, needs to show a level of dignity, humility, intelligence, compassion, smarts and understanding, as otherwise they are just another buffed up mobster on a mound.
First15
You mean like Clinton riding on the coattails of everything Reagan did?
You do remember the news media going nuts and calling everyone racist for wanting to restrict and screen anyone and everyone who was coming out of West Taiwan, right?
What WAS the appropriate response to that, especially when Trump began doing and recommending practically everything Fauci and the CDC wanted?
Why?
First15
You're saying the president doesn't have any control, and the you're saying the president has full control. Which is it? Or is it just whoever is in office, so you get to play blame games all the time?
The average American who didn't have to worry about the IRS auditing them if they had over $600 in the bank: https://archive.ph/tdxV2
First15
How'd he manage to own and operate an international multi-billion dollar enterprise, then?
Simon Foston
First15Today 06:04 pm JST
His dad.
ClippetyClop
He didn't, hence the multiple bankrupcies, proven fraud, not paying any tax etc. The toerag even stole from his own charity.
He's a fool's idea of a rich man. Would you trust him with your life savings? With your house keys? With your wife?
He was an abject president and he's an even more abject man.
theFu
Hope for the best, plan for the worst. Trump is a failure as a humane being, much less President. He is embarrassing in so many ways, mostly self-inflicted.
First15
And he just happened to NOT get caught for over 40 years?
HopeSpringsEternal
People miss the global stability of Trump. Especially Ukraine. What most don't know is Ukraine's civil war has gone on for 10 years now, but really the tensions in Ukraine with Russia have been real since fall of USSR.
Why? Due to wealthy outsiders seeking opportunity both in Ukraine and Russia, using Ukraine as platform. Times were tough economically post-cold war circa 1990.
Ukraine civil war was 'contained' during 1st Trump Admin, he kept out of it. Biden took office and armed Ukraine to the gills with weapons, and Ukraine civil war became far more one-sided.
Hence Russia's invasion or legal right to protect those seeking their legal independence. Affected Ukraine areas are dominant Russia speaking, including Crimea, all sought for CAUSE their independence from Ukraine.
All documented at UN. They've also held their own local elections to leave Ukraine. CAUSE = Human, property and citizenship rights violations by the Ukraine's Govt.
Above BACKSTORY, WHY Ukraine problem became so global, now spreading to Middle East etc. Amazingly it's the Catalyst that allowed China to bring Russia, Iran, and most Muslim and global south countries into their camp.
Moonraker
It's frankly amazing - and depressing - that anyone can think positively of this narcissistic swindler.
HopeSpringsEternal
Agee on Trump's personality, "unique" but many people clearly love his policies and leadership effectiveness.
Real problem many have now is valid concern that the rapidly aging current President's run by unelected special interests - including ALL of Trump's supporters.
Simon Foston
HopeSpringsEternalToday 11:36 am JST
Right, because he was soooo great to work under, wasn't he. Just ask James Matthis, John Bolton or Mike Pence. Among others.
HopeSpringsEternal
Most people judge Trump's family and business empire relations as far more important than cherry picking a few DC insiders. He's more loved than almost anyone...and more hated by radical left partisans than almost anyone!
Those in middle miss his pro-growth pro private sector agenda that kept World Stable, vs. current environment, including low inflation, interest rates, crime and border security that did not destroy American dream as a result.
TaiwanIsNotChina
Why not make it 100 years old and one continuous civil war?
Utter garbage. Trump began the javalins. ChatGPT isn't able to understand cause and effect, that Ukraine being invaded was the cause of the wests armament of Ukraine.
HopeSpringsEternal
Russian Speaking Ukranian Separatists began fighting in Ukraine in 2014 for their independence. UN paper trail starts in 2014 to justify their CAUSE for independence = Human, property and citizenship rights violations.
What changed was massive US NATO Ukraine military funding, equipping and training escalation after Biden assumed office. Anyone honest knows Trump was trying to get these two (Putin and Zelensky) to work it out.
Trump did not see any benefit in NATO eastward expansion (we have enough nukes!) and in the process dangerously threaten Russia. He was RIGHT.
TaiwanIsNotChina
Still Putin's War and Trump's Javelins, but you are right that Trump is likely just a useful idiot for Russia.
HopeSpringsEternal
US voters overwhelmingly understand that Trump was working hard to de-escalate Ukraine Russian tensions that were growing due to their ongoing civil war that officially began in 2014. TRUMP WAS RIGHT.
TaiwanIsNotChina
US voters overwhelmingly understand that Trump's "Reek" moment was a national disgrace.
HopeSpringsEternal
Look at polling on issues, take Ukraine war, Biden's easily +20pts down vs. Trump, ditto inflation, crime, economy, border, Middle East. Obvious most Americans do not support Biden & US NATO eastward expansion.
Translation, Trump was RIGHT, track record matters.
TaiwanIsNotChina
Only the disgraceful MAGA is looking to cut and run:
https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2023/12/08/about-half-of-republicans-now-say-the-us-is-providing-too-much-aid-to-ukraine/