Photo: Screenshot of Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's post

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi is facing online backlash after taking to X on Sunday to express relief over US President Donald Trump's safety after gunshots at White House Correspondents' Association Dinner. While Takaichi declared in both English and Japanese that "violence must never be tolerated," Japanese netizens quickly pointed out her hypocrisy—highlighting her advocacy for lethal weapons exports and her conspicuous silence last month after a Japanese Self-Defense Force member breached the Chinese embassy in Japan.

Trump was evacuated from the White House Correspondents' Association Dinner on Saturday after a loud noise was heard, video from the scene showed, the Xinhua News Agency reported on Sunday morning. Trump and Vice President JD Vance were reportedly uninjured, per Xinhua. 

Takaichi sent a bilingual post in English and Japanese via her X account at around 12 noon on Sunday, commenting on the security incident. "I am relieved to learn that President Trump is safe after the terrifying gunshots. Violence can never be tolerated anywhere in the world," read the post.

The post garnered attention from several mainstream Japanese media. Outlets such as Nikkei and FNN highlighted the term "relieved", with which Takaichi described her personal feeling, directly in their news headlines. Other media outlets including Jiji News, TBS News and Nippon News Network centered their coverage on her remark that "violence can never be tolerated anywhere in the world." 

Takaichi's post sparked criticism among some Japanese public figures, some of whom linked her remark that "violence can never be tolerated anywhere in the world" with previous news of her advocating for lifting the ban on lethal arms exports and revising Japan's pacifist Constitution.

Japanese journalist Kazuya Shirasaka, who has 41.8k followers on X, called Takaichi a "hypocrite", saying that Takaichi has abolished the five-category weapons classification and paved the way for arms exports, and questioned her directly "Which mouth do you think you're talking out of?"

Another journalist @shintayabe_257 from the Kanagawa Shimbun wrote on his personal X account that "A prime minister full of nothing but sophistry refuses to confront the very violence she herself is complicit in what on earth is she even trying to face?" 

Additionally, another user @jomonzine, who boasts 33.9k followers, drew a stark connection between Takaichi's remarks and the hazardous incident last month involving a Japanese Self-Defense Forces member breaking into the Chinese Embassy in Japan. 

By reposting Takaichi's post, the user raised a pointed question: "there's still no comment or apology regarding the intrusion incident at our own country's Chinese embassy by a Ground Self-Defense Force 3rd Lieutenant carrying a kitchen knife with a blade length of about 18cm?"

Likewise, some Japanese netizens have also voiced their discontent with Takaichi's remarks. One highly-upvoted comment, approaching 1,000 likes, stated in her comment section that "It is a clear contradiction to advance the lifting of the ban on exporting lethal weapons in spite of such words. Please demonstrate Japan's consistent ethical stance."

Other netizens also attached media reports in which Takaichi had previously called for the lifting of restrictions on lethal weapons, with one retorting to her: " You're totally pro-violence, right?"

A netizen named ayokota retweeted Takaichi's post and said, "Who would ever believe such hollow rhetoric of ' Violence can never be tolerated anywhere in the world' coming from her mouth?" Another user @asa_natsu_haru questioned Takaichi, stating, "Aren't weapons themselves tools of violence?"

One Japanese netizen @wanpakuten expressed shock at how swiftly Takaichi responded this time—while also bringing up the incident in which a Self-Defense Force officer broke into the Chinese embassy in Japan, noting that Takaichi had said absolutely nothing about it. 

The netizen stated that he agreed with Takaichi's remark that "violence is unacceptable anywhere in the world," and then posed a pointed question: "If that is truly the case, how do you explain your silence back then?"


Global Times