A video of former U.S. President Donald Trump being gently guided by Japan’s newly elected Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi during a welcome ceremony in Tokyo has sparked widespread attention — and criticism from the White House. The meeting marked the first official encounter between the two leaders following Takaichi’s election as Japan’s first female prime minister.
The clip, filmed Tuesday at Tokyo’s Akasaka Palace, shows Trump following Takaichi through an honor guard and military band performance. At one point, Trump appeared to pause beside the musicians until Takaichi extended her arm, prompting him to continue walking. The exchange quickly went viral, with many online users debating the optics of the moment.
White House responds to viral clip
The video was first shared on X by political commentator Acyn, leading to a flood of reactions. Soon after, the official White House Rapid Response 47 account posted a longer version of the footage, accusing critics of taking the scene out of context.
“Why didn’t you share the full video, dumba–?” the White House account wrote in response. However, the move appeared to backfire as several users argued that the full clip made Trump look more confused rather than less. One user replied, “All the full video does is make him look worse. You should have thanked them for only sharing a small part.”
The White House has not issued an official statement beyond the post, but the administration’s defensive tone highlights its growing sensitivity to viral portrayals of Trump’s overseas appearances. The situation echoes past controversies over edited or misleading clips that shaped public perception during his presidency, according to The New York Times and Reuters.
Trump’s business dinner in Tokyo
Later that evening, Trump hosted a dinner with major business figures, including Apple CEO Tim Cook, Salesforce founder Marc Benioff, and Rakuten CEO Hiroshi Mikitani. The event, organized by U.S. Ambassador George Glass, aimed to encourage deeper Japanese investment in the United States. Other attendees included OpenAI’s Greg Brockman, SoftBank’s Masayoshi Son, Honda’s Toshihiro Mibe, Toshiba’s Taro Shimada, and Anduril Industries’ Palmer Luckey.
During his remarks, Trump assured guests that the United States remained a “reliable partner” and praised Japan’s business community for its “innovation and integrity.” The dinner concluded with a menu featuring spring rolls, salad, stuffed pasta, and apple crumble tart, according to Bloomberg.
A diplomatic start with an awkward moment
The incident between Takaichi and Trump may have been brief, but it dominated headlines in both nations. For Japan, it marked a symbolic start to Takaichi’s international diplomacy. For the United States, it reignited familiar debates about image, perception, and the power of viral moments in modern politics.
As one X user summed it up, “It’s not the clip — it’s the contrast. She looks confident, and he looks lost.” Whether the moment was simply a polite gesture or a diplomatic misstep, it ensured that Takaichi’s debut on the world stage would not go unnoticed.