Jack Posobiec is in the East Room of the White House waiting for a press conference with President Trump and Japanese Prime Minister Shincho Ishiba. In this episode, Jack and Brian Glenn are joined by Doug Bergen to discuss the impact of President Trump's recent meetings with world leaders, including the Prime Minister of Japan and Benjamin Netanyahu.
00:17:29.540I'm delighted to welcome Japanese Prime Minister Ishiba Shigeru to the White House for the first time.
00:17:36.540And Prime Minister, it's an honor to have you with us. A great honor. Japan is a great country. Thank you very much.
00:17:42.540Japan is strong and proud. It's a nation that is home to one of the great civilizations in the history of the world.
00:17:50.540For nearly 80 years, the American Japanese people have enjoyed a friendship like few others. We've had a great friendship across the vast ocean.
00:18:00.540We found ourselves united by bonds of history, commerce, culture, mutual admiration, and great respect.
00:18:08.540After our meeting today, I'm confident that the cherished alliances between our two countries and others also will continue to flourish long and into the future.
00:18:20.540The military cooperation between the United States and Japan is one of our closest security partnerships, and it's one of the closest we have anywhere in the world.
00:18:30.540Our service members work together every day to defend our common interests.
00:18:36.540Japan is committed to double its defense spending by 2027 compared to my first term.
00:18:42.540They've invested a lot of money because of my first term. We worked on that very hard with Shinzo, you know, the great Shinzo Abe.
00:18:52.540And we look forward to seeing even more so Shinzo and I worked very, very long and hard, and those numbers are very reflective after my first term.
00:19:04.540And now they're going up very substantially based on our conversations today. In addition to being vital for our shared security, Japan is one of the top purchases of U.S. military exports and equipment.
00:19:17.540And I'm pleased to say that this week my administration approved nearly a billion dollars in foreign military sales to Tokyo.
00:19:26.540The United States is totally committed to the security of Japan.
00:19:30.540We will extend the full strength of American deterrence capabilities in defense of our friend and ally, 100%.
00:19:40.540In the years to come, the Prime Minister and I will be working closely together to maintain peace and security.
00:19:46.540And I also say peace through strength and all over the Indo-Pacific.
00:19:51.540And to that end, we also remain committed to the effort I began in my first term to ensure safety and stability on the Korean Peninsula.
00:20:01.540Prime Minister Ishibe and I spoke long and hard about a vital economic relationship between our two countries and the continuance of that relationship.
00:20:13.540The United States and Japan trade over $300 billion in goods and services each year.
00:20:19.540Japan has invested nearly $800 billion and that's going to go up very, very substantially in the coming months, more than any other country.
00:20:29.540They're going to have some competition. We have a lot of people coming in and investing in the United States.
00:20:34.540I think our, our, the feeling throughout the world has never been stronger about this country.
00:20:40.540As a result of our victory in 2024, the presidential election, the Japanese investment and technology giant SoftBank announced plans to invest between $100 and $200 billion.
00:20:52.540And we have many other companies investing that number higher than that number, some a little bit less, but we have trillions of dollars of investment pouring into our country now that you didn't have just a short while ago.
00:21:05.540Today, our teams discussed how our two nations can do even more to stay on the cutting edge of artificial intelligence along with the quantum computing semiconductors and other critical technologies.
00:21:19.540And they're coming out. The problem with technology that kind, it's obsolete in about two days, so we have to start all over again.
00:21:26.540It doesn't last long. We agreed to cooperate even more closely to combat the Chinese economic aggression, which is quite aggressive.
00:21:35.540I'm also pleased to announce that Japan will soon begin importing historic new shipments of clean American liquefied natural gas in record numbers.
00:21:45.540It will be record numbers. It will be record numbers. With our Secretary of the Interior, we were talking, I think Doug is here. Hello, Doug. Please stand up, Doug.
00:21:55.540Doug Burgum, everybody. We're talking about the pipeline in Alaska, which is the closest point of major oil and gas to Japan by far.
00:22:07.540Less than half the distance of any other location. We're talking about a joint venture of some type between Japan and us having to do with Alaska oil and gas.
00:22:17.540And that's very exciting. They're very excited about it. So are we. As we deepen our economic relationship, I made clear that the United States will be conducting trade with all countries based on the principle of fairness and reciprocity.
00:22:30.540Chronic trade deficits not only undermine our economy. They really do. And we're going to get rid of the trade. We have a trade deficit with Japan of over $100 billion.
00:22:43.540But we're going to work that out. And I think very quickly, frankly, we can do it just on oil and gas. We can work it out. So we intend to do it very quickly. We both understand that.
00:22:53.540And as America welcomes new foreign investment, we also want to ensure that companies build their products and factories here in America, not simply by the assets that we have.
00:23:06.540And Japan is going to be opening up auto plants. New auto plants are being built currently as we speak. They've just been started.
00:23:15.540Toyota is one. And Nissan is going to be doing something very exciting about U.S. Steel. They'll be looking at an investment rather than a purchase.
00:23:26.540We didn't like the idea. U.S. Steel is a very important company to us. It was the greatest company in the world for 15 years, many years ago, 80 years ago.
00:23:36.540And we didn't want to see that leave. And it wouldn't actually leave. But the concept, psychologically, not good. So they've agreed to invest heavily in U.S. Steel as opposed to own it.
00:23:50.540And that sounds very exciting. And we're going to meet with Nissan. Next week, the head of Nissan, a very great company. And the details, I'll help. I'll be there to mediate and arbitrate.
00:24:03.540And I had the privilege of working closely with a great prime minister, as you know, and you know him very well, Shinzo Abe, the longest serving prime minister in Japan's history.
00:24:13.540Likewise, I expect that this prime minister is going to be a great one. I really believe that he's going to be a great one. I've gotten to know him for not long, but I can see what they have.
00:24:25.540He's got the qualities of greatness. He's going to do a fantastic job for Japan and for the Japanese people. And I'd like now to invite the prime minister to say a few words and then we'll take some questions.
00:24:40.540Mr. Prime Minister, thank you. Thank you very much.
00:24:48.540Mr. Mr. President Trump, I would like to sincerely thank you for inviting me to the White House today immediately following your inauguration.
00:24:58.540I also thank you for your very warm hospitality. I have come to Washington, D.C., with the hope of having a face to face meeting and deepening our mutual understanding at this early date with President Trump,
00:25:16.540President Trump, who is now leading the United States, the most important country for Japan's diplomacy and security and aligning our perspectives and visions that Japan and the United States should pursue.
00:25:32.540What should we do to advance the national interests of both of our countries in synergy and to realize peace and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific?
00:25:44.540I am convinced that the answer lies in further strengthening the strong and unwavering Japan-U.S. alliance to achieve a free and open Indo-Pacific.
00:26:00.540President and I concurred to strengthen the deterrence and response capabilities of the alliance and to work closely in addressing strategic challenges that both countries are facing in this region.
00:26:14.540I conveyed to the president that Japan as an ally of the United States is ready to share responsibilities and to play its own role.
00:26:24.540I also reiterated Japan's unwavering commitment to fundamentally reinforcing its defense capabilities and we confirmed the unwavering commitment by the United States to the defense of Japan.
00:26:40.540We reaffirmed that Article 5 of the Japan-U.S.
00:26:43.540We reaffirmed that Article 5 of the Japan-U.S. Treaty of mutual cooperation and security applies to the Senkaku Islands with half of the world's population in approximately 60 percent of the world's GDP.
00:26:58.540The Indo-Pacific serves as the engine of growth and vitality for the United States and the world.
00:27:05.540The President and I also concurred that the United States and Japan will make further efforts in a wide range of areas working hand in hand together to realize a free and open Indo-Pacific.
00:27:20.540In this context, we also concurred the further advance cooperation of the multi-layered networks of the like-minded countries, including the Quad and trilateral cooperation with the Republic of Korea and the Philippines.
00:27:36.540We also discussed Japan-United States cooperation to bring about growth and prosperity.
00:27:43.540Economic cooperation, including on economic security, is important from the perspective of strengthening alliance cooperation.
00:27:52.540Japan is the closest economic partner of the United States and has been the world's largest investor in the United States for five consecutive years.
00:28:05.540Also, with the inauguration of President Trump, the momentum for Japanese companies to invest in the United States is growing even stronger.
00:28:17.540Today, I conveyed my willingness to cooperate together to elevate Japan's investment in the United States to an unprecedented amount of one trillion dollars.
00:28:31.540President Trump and myself also concurred to elevate the Japan-U.S. partnership to an even higher level through improving business environment and increasing bilateral investment in employment,
00:28:46.540strengthening each other's industries, leading the world in developing advanced technologies such as A.I.
00:28:54.540and leading-edge semiconductors and strongly promoting efforts to harness the energy of the growing market in the Indo-Pacific region.
00:29:09.540We also confirmed that we will cooperate to strengthen energy security between the two countries,
00:29:17.540including increasing exports of the United States liquefied natural gas to Japan in a mutually beneficial manner.
00:29:25.540Regarding foreign exchange, as in the first Trump administration,
00:29:30.540close discussions will continue between Japanese and the U.S. finance ministers who are experts in this field.
00:29:37.540We also held candid discussions on challenges the Indo-Pacific region is facing.
00:29:43.540We confirmed that we are resolved not to allow unilateral attempts to change the status quo by force or coercion
00:29:49.540and to oppose such attempts in the East and South China seas in order to fully defend a free and open Indo-Pacific.
00:29:56.540We also reiterated the importance of peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait.
00:30:08.540Regarding North Korea, we affirmed the need to address its nuclear and missile program,
00:30:14.540which poses a serious threat to Japan, the U.S. and beyond,
00:30:19.540and that Japan and the U.S. will work together toward the complete denuclearization of North Korea.
00:30:26.540As the abductees and their families continued to age,
00:30:30.540I conveyed my strong sense of urgency and determination directly to President Trump
00:30:35.540and gained his renewed strong support for the immediate resolution of the abductions issue.
00:30:44.540While this was my first face-to-face meeting with President Trump,
00:30:48.540we were able to openly and frankly exchange views,
00:30:52.540and our meeting turned out to be very productive and meaningful.
00:31:01.540As a result of today's meeting, which marked a new departure for the Japan-U.S. relations,
00:31:07.540we are issuing a Japan-U.S. joint leader statement.
00:31:12.540This document will serve as a compass for further cooperation between our two countries.
00:31:19.540On the basis of these deliverables, I look forward to working together with President Trump,
00:31:26.540who I respect immensely to usher in a new golden age of Japan-U.S. relations.
00:31:31.540I look forward to welcoming you to Japan, and I am very excited about that prospect.
00:43:29.540And for the Prime Minister, what was your argument to the President related to U.S. steel?
00:43:34.540And one more on tariffs, Mr. President, if I could.
00:43:38.540You said on tariffs that you'd like them to be reciprocal back and forth.
00:43:42.540What was the reception from the Japanese Prime Minister when you said that or when you talked about that?
00:43:47.540Well, we didn't discuss tariffs too much.
00:43:49.540We really discussed many other things, including the pipeline in Alaska, which I think is going to be maybe the most exciting thing with Doug and Chris.
00:43:57.540We discussed that at length, the pipeline.
00:44:00.540I mean, it seemed to be of great interest to them.
00:44:02.540We have potentially more oil and gas than in Saudi Arabia, just in Alaska.
00:44:09.540We have the most of any country in the world.
00:44:12.540It's a big asset for the United States, but we haven't used it.
00:45:23.540I believe that President Trump, on the day of his inauguration, allowed us to resume this importing.
00:45:31.540I think this is something that is really wonderful for us.
00:45:35.540And as the country of Japan, we are interested in importing not just LNG, but also bioethanol, ammonia, and other resources at a stable price, a reasonable price from the United States.
00:45:52.540And we also want to improve the trade deficit that the U.S. has towards Japan.
00:46:00.540So if we are able to buy those at a stable and reasonable price, I think it would be a wonderful situation.
00:46:09.540And for that, I am very appreciative to President Trump.
00:46:12.540And we also look forward to LNG and hope that it's a success.
00:46:21.540I would just say that on the ethanol, Iowa is going to be very happy.
00:46:24.540All of the Nebraska, all of our farm states are going to be very happy.
00:51:49.540They'll ask questions and they'll see immediately as somebody gets tongue-tied that they're either crooked or don't know what they're doing.