This piece was originally published in The Spectator.
“My wonderful ally and friend” is how Japan’s brand-new, and first female, prime minister Sanae Takaichi described President Trump in a recent X post. As has been commented in Japan, this is a bit strong given that the two have spent a total of one day together (Trump is visiting as part of a tour of South Asia). An accompanying photo shows the two in couple-y proximity inside a U.S. military helicopter at Yokosuka naval base. Trump looks relaxed and happy. Takaichi? Positively smitten.
Could we be witnessing the emergence of a new geopolitical power couple in the mold of Britain’s Margaret Thatcher and President Ronald Reagan? Takaichi, of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), is known to have been inspired by the former Tory prime minister and has even taken to imitating the Iron Lady’s dress (Thatcherite blue with pearls). And Trump and Reagan have much in common: a showbiz background, charisma in spades, an appeal to blue-collar workers that transcends traditional Washington politics, and a reputation for grand gestures on the international stage.
The initial signs are promising. The two leaders have been seemingly trying to outdo each other in the lavishness of their praise for each other and their respective countries. Trump has already described Takaichi as “fantastic” and “beautiful” and said that “we’ve become very close friends all of a sudden,” while Takaichi has described the U.S.-Japan relationship as being on the brink of a “new golden age.” She has promised to nominate Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize for his “unprecedented historic achievements.”
Could we be witnessing the emergence of a new geopolitical power couple in the mold of Britain’s Margaret Thatcher and President Ronald Reagan?
