Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi unexpectedly offered a birthday compliment to Barron Trump during a White House dinner on Thursday night, March 19, calling President Donald Trump’s youngest son a “very tall, good-looking gentleman” and implying his looks clearly come from his parents.
The comment occurred on Takaichi’s first formal trip to Washington since she became Japan’s first female prime minister in October. Standing next to the president in the State Dining Room, the 65-year-old leader turned her attention to Barron, who turned 20 on Friday.
“Donald, tomorrow is the birthday of your son, Mr. Barron Trump, and I know he has grown up so much into a very tall, good-looking gentleman,” Takaichi said through an interpreter, eliciting laughter and applause from attendees. She then asked the 79-year-old president to pass along her birthday wishes to his son, who was not listed among the evening’s guests.
Barron Trump, reported to be between 6-foot-7 and 6-foot-9, has kept a very low profile relative to other Trump family members. The NYU sophomore has no social media accounts and has appeared publicly only twice since his father returned to office in January—the inauguration and last month’s State of the Union. He lives at the White House while attending the university’s D.C. campus.
The birthday mention was one of two “important anniversaries” Takaichi noted in her remarks. She also congratulated the United States on its forthcoming 250th anniversary, describing America as “an icon of freedom and democracy in the world.”
Japan plans to donate 250 more cherry trees to Washington, D.C., to commemorate the semiquincentennial. The prime minister, who is known for her interest in cars, also expressed enthusiasm for the upcoming Freedom 250 Grand Prix, which will bring IndyCar racing to the National Mall in August.
The dinner followed a day of meetings between the two leaders that included tense moments. In an earlier Oval Office conversation, President Trump made a contentious comparison between U.S. strikes on Iran and Japan’s attack on Pearl Harbor, joking about the surprise element.
“We didn’t tell anyone about it because we wanted a surprise. Who knows better about surprise than Japan? Why didn’t you tell me about Pearl Harbor?” Trump said to laughter.
Reports say Takaichi seemed uncomfortable during the exchange, her faint smile fading as she lifted her eyebrows and inhaled slowly.
The visit took place amid major foreign policy challenges. Takaichi warned President Trump that the world faces a “very severe security environment” because of the ongoing U.S.-Israel conflict with Iran, which began with joint strikes in February. She voiced confidence that only Trump “can achieve peace throughout the world.”
President Trump described Takaichi as “a very special person” and “a great friend and partner,” saying they have grown “very close.” He suggested he expects Japan to increase support in the Iran conflict, calling it “appropriate” given Japan’s dependence on oil that transits the Strait of Hormuz.
Still, military cooperation faces pushback domestically in Japan. A recent Asahi Shimbun poll found 82% of Japanese do not support the U.S. war in Iran.
Takaichi, often nicknamed Japan’s “Iron Lady” for her firmly conservative stance, praised the bilateral relationship. She called the upcoming IndyCar event in Washington, sponsored by Japan’s NTT group, a “perfect, perfect example of the friendship between Japan and the United States.”
The prime minister also noted that strict quarantine rules prevented her from presenting cherry blossoms to the president in person during the visit.
President Trump visited Takaichi in Japan last year and supported her campaign in the country’s February snap election, which produced a landslide win for her Liberal Democratic Party.
