Social media users mercilessly mocked President Donald Trump over the weekend after a Fox News interview in which he referred to Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba as “Mr. Japan.”
Trump’s comments came during an interview with Fox News host Maria Bartiromo on Sunday Morning Futures on Sunday (June 29), in which he touched on a number of topics, including the Israel and Iran conflict, the recent U.S. airstrikes, and his proposed international trade tariffs.
With the July 9 deadline for the tariff deals rapidly approaching, the President said he isn’t interested in negotiating and would rather send a letter to the countries letting them know the terms of the tariffs.
“But I’d rather just send them a letter, a very fair letter, saying, congratulations, whether it will allow you to trade in the United States of America,” Trump told Bartiromo, per RawStory. “You’re going to pay a 25% tariff, or 20% or 40% or 50%. I would rather do that.”
He continued, “We’ll send a letter, and we’ll say we would consider it a great honor, and this is what you’ll have to do to shop in the United States. We’re like a department store to shop in the United States, and you’ll pay a 25% tariff, or we wish you a lot of luck, and that’s the end of the trade deal.”
Trump then made the remark, which led to mockery, as he stated, “I could send one to Japan. ‘Dear Mr. Japan, here’s the story. You’re going to pay a 25% tariff on your cars.’”
If President Biden started a sentence with “Dear Mr. Japan,” Republicans would never shut up about it and “25th Amendment” is all they’d be talking about.
This is fucking INSANE. pic.twitter.com/uNPuNEV7yR
— BrooklynDad_Defiant!☮️ (@mmpadellan) June 29, 2025
Commenters jumped onto social media with reactions to Trump’s comment, with one X user writing, “His brain is peanut butter.”
“If President Biden started a sentence with “Dear Mr. Japan,” Republicans would never shut up about it and “25th Amendment” is all they’d be talking about. This is f***ing INSANE,” said another.
Another shared similar sentiments, writing, “If Biden said ‘Dear Mr. Japan,’ Republicans would demand a cognitive test, Fox would run countdowns to the 25th Amendment, and pundits would lose their minds. But Trump says it? ‘Sir is playing 8D chess.’ It’s not politics anymore. It’s a damn cult.”
If President Biden started a sentence with “Dear Mr. Japan,” Republicans would never shut up about it and “25th Amendment” is all they’d be talking about.
This is fucking INSANE. pic.twitter.com/uNPuNEV7yR
— BrooklynDad_Defiant!☮️ (@mmpadellan) June 29, 2025
“Trump has no clue who the Prime Minister of Japan is so he calls him “Mr. Japan” in the interview. How can you negotiate with somebody if you don’t know their name?” said one commenter.
“Dear Mr Japan? Trump doesn’t know what or who he is talking about,” another added.
Another wrote, “Mr. Japan” oh my god I can’t believe it’s only been 6 months. Everything feels so dystopian, I swear…”
You can watch the full interview in the video above.