As Donald Trump landed in Japan, the chaos that has defined his Asia trip only deepened. From a bizarre midair rant over his “perfect MRI” and cognitive tests to violating royal protocol with Japan’s emperor, Trump once again managed to turn a diplomatic visit into a global embarrassment.
During the flight from Malaysia to Japan, Trump launched into a rambling monologue about his health. “It was perfect,” he said, after admitting to undergoing an MRI during a follow-up appointment at Walter Reed, adding that “the doctors said it was one of the best reports they’ve ever seen.” I had previously reported that Trump’s “advanced medical imaging” likely referred to an MRI, something not typically done during a routine physical. Trump seemed determined to prove that report true, bragging in great detail about what he called “the most perfect MRI anybody’s ever had.”
Then, unprompted, he brought up his latest cognitive exam, what he calls a “very hard” test that required him to identify “a tiger, an elephant, and a giraffe.” Trump mocked Representatives Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Jasmine Crockett, saying, they couldn’t pass the test. The fixation on his mental acuity only underscored the growing concern about his repeated neurological testing. As I said during my broadcast, “Why does this guy keep on taking cognitive exams and getting MRIs? It’s pretty obvious before our eyes what’s taking place here.”
But the oddities didn’t stop at 30,000 feet. When Trump arrived in Japan and met Emperor Naruhito, he repeatedly touched the emperor’s back, an egregious breach of royal protocol. According to Japan’s Asahi Shimbun, Trump boasted that he had “resolved eight conflicts around the world,” prompting the emperor to gently but pointedly reply, “My heart aches that conflicts continue in various parts of the world.” Not exactly the applause line Trump expected.
Trump’s meandering remarks also touched on Argentina, where he openly bragged that “the United States successfully interfered in the Argentinian election” and “made a lot of money” from it—an extraordinary admission of meddling in another nation’s democracy. “We made a lot of money based on that election,” Trump said, claiming that “the bonds have gone up” and “the debt rating has improved.” Meanwhile, millions of Americans are still suffering under his government shutdown, with SNAP benefits and healthcare on the brink of collapse.
When asked about the World Series, Trump declared he wasn’t watching “because of Pete Rose,” saying, “Put Pete Rose in before he dies.” He also bizarrely referred to cattle ranchers as “the cattle people,” before promising to “get the price of meat down” while somehow not hurting the ranchers.
As if that weren’t enough, Trump entertained a question about running for a third term, something so unconstitutional that reporters shouldn’t even dignify it. “I would love to do it,” he said, “I’ve solved eight wars and the ninth is coming.”
He then picked another fight with one of America’s closest allies, accusing Canada of airing “fake ads” after Ontario ran a Ronald Reagan clip condemning tariffs. “Ronald Reagan loved tariffs,” Trump lied. In fact, Reagan said tariffs “caused and deepened the Great Depression.”
CNN data underscored the irony: Canada’s favorability rating among Americans is +49. Trump’s is -10. In short, Canadians are 60 points more popular than the man attacking them from the Oval Office.
All of this unfolded while Trump’s Speaker, MAGA Mike Johnson, claimed with a straight face that “Democrats are in charge of the government” during the ongoing shutdown Trump himself caused.
Trump’s Asia trip, meant to project strength, has instead revealed a president unraveling, rambling about imaginary wars, boasting about brain tests, and alienating allies. At home and abroad, Americans and the world are watching a man unfit for power, and a Republican party wielding cruelty and lies as a weapon.
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