Golf was always on the agenda whenever Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and President Donald Trump got together.
On his 2019 four-day state visit to Japan, President Trump flew Marine One south to play golf with the Japanese leader at a private country club.
Abe was Trump’s closest ally in international policy. Abe had played golf with Trump five times since he assumed office. Abe wanted to maintain his country in Trump’s good graces while U.S.-Japan trade issues persisted and North Korea remained a continual danger to both nations.
Video has emerged, showing what appears to be Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe falling during a game of golf with President Trump. pic.twitter.com/i4TZHSAYzD
— NBC News (@NBCNews) November 10, 2017
Abe exposed Trump to the Japanese sport of sumo wrestling. In Tokyo, Trump witnessed a championship contest between giant athletes. The “President’s Cup” trophy he awarded to the winner was his own.
U.S. President Donald Trump said he had "a great day" playing golf and attending a sumo tournament as he and first lady Melania Trump joined Japan's PM Shinzo Abe and Mrs. Abe for dinner at a Tokyo restaurant where the food is served on long paddles. pic.twitter.com/0vdvyAr7Yo
— Voice of America (@VOANews) May 26, 2019
Throwback to Shinzo Abe and President Trump feeding koi.
— Benny Johnson (@bennyjohnson) July 8, 2022
The Denver Post reported at the time, “A motorcade of golf carts ferried Abe to meet Trump. They exchanged a warm handshake and patted each other on the forearms and posed for a throng of journalists. Abe wore white pants and a dark blue sport coat. Trump wore a red half-zip pullover with a white shirt and dark pants.”
Trump tweeted that he was “Going to play golf right now with @AbeShinzo. Japan loves the game. Tremendous fans of @JackNicklaus, @TigerWoods, and @PhilMickelson.” All three are famous American golfers. Trump said he asked about South African professional golf Gary Play and “they said we love Gary too!”
As he went for the country club, Abe told reporters that Sunday’s weather was ideal for golf and that “it seems we are in the mood for sumo.”
Marine One flying over Tokyo, Japan. #POTUSinJapan🇺🇸🇯🇵 pic.twitter.com/xf0wXdGA9u
— Dan Scavino Jr. Archived (@Scavino45) May 26, 2019
Abe was as pro-Japan as Trump is pro-America. In addition, he was an ardent foe of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).
Abe stated in February of this year that the United States must inform the CCP that it will support Taiwan if China attacks.
The NPR stated:
In recent months, Abe had been a more outspoken critic of China. Earlier this year, he called on the United States to drop its long-standing practice of “strategic ambiguity” and give Taiwan assurances that it could count on American help in the event of an attack by China.
He also angered China by saying “a Taiwan contingency is a Japan contingency,” and noting that it would be impossible for Japan not to be sucked into a conflict over the self-governed island that Beijing considers a part of China.
Today, the world was startled to discover that Abe was murdered during a campaign rally.
In the incident, the murderer, a former member of Japan’s Maritime Self-Defense Force who is now unemployed, used a handmade firearm. According to an NPR article, he attacked Abe because he assumed he was affiliated with an organization Yamagami despised. Multiple handcrafted firearms were later discovered in Yamagami’s home.” CONTINUE READING…