Japan PM mocked as ‘Trump sycophant’ after giggling at Biden’s autopen portrait

A photograph published by the White House shows Takaichi arriving at an official dinner with her fists raised, handbag over one arm, apparently shouting with delight.

Photo: White House Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi is facing accusations of diplomatic sycophancy after White House footage showed her giggling at a portrait of an autopen – placed by US President Donald Trump in the spot reserved for his predecessor Joe Biden – during summit talks last week.

The clip, posted on the official White House website, shows Takaichi pointing at the framed picture, then laughing and covering her mouth.

It was filmed on the “Presidential Walk of Fame”, a gallery unveiled by Trump last year in the West Wing where portraits of former US presidents are displayed.

Trump, who claims his predecessor’s staff routinely used the mechanical signing device to execute documents in his name, replaced Biden’s image with a picture of the autopen itself and has argued that anything signed with it should be invalidated.

A White House photograph shows Takaichi arriving at an official dinner with her fists raised, handbag over one arm, apparently shouting with delight.

Photo: White House Takaichi’s embarrassment was compounded further when the White House published additional images of her arriving at an official dinner for senior Japanese and American officials with her fists raised, handbag over one arm, apparently shouting with delight.

Her office later explained she had been caught off guard by the band playing “Rusty Nail”, a song by the Japanese rock band X Japan she has publicly named as a favourite.

The explanation did little to quiet her critics.

Online reaction in Japan was largely withering. “She comes across as a Trump sycophant,” read one comment on BuzzFeed Japan. “I understand she’s having a hard time dealing with Trump, but she’s certainly attracting global attention.

I wish she had refrained from such public behaviour, as it could easily be interpreted as representing the consensus of the Japanese people.” Takaichi watches US President Donald Trump speak at a dinner in the White House on March 19.

Photo: AP Others focused on the political fallout of laughing at Biden’s symbolic absence, saying it “could easily be interpreted as an insult to the former Democratic president, whose party might win a majority in the next midterm elections”.

That was far from the sharpest rebuke, however. “Takaichi’s words and actions at the summit made me feel ashamed as

原文链接: 南华早报