LAS VEGAS, Nevada—Former President Donald Trump told Breitbart News in private that he was considering attending the funeral of the murdered former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, and spoke to the Abe family about it.
“We’ll see how things go,” Trump said when asked if he would attend Abe’s funeral. “We talk to their families. We love family. Her husband is an extraordinary woman. He is so precious to Japan that I can imagine it being an incredible celebration of life. He is just special. Every aspect of this man is special. Do you know that he was the first I saw? Do you remember arriving early? From the election “He came right after – he was the first person I saw. But we had a special relationship. Let’s see, we’re talking now.”
Trump’s comments came in an exclusive behind-the-scenes interview following an event he held with Republican candidates for the U.S. Senate and Governor of Nevada, former Attorney General Adam Laxalt and Clark County Sheriff Joe Lombardo. Trump spoke for nearly an hour in a crowded ballroom at the Treasure Island Hotel and Casino on the Las Vegas Strip on Friday night, after Laxalt, Lombardo and several local and national law enforcement officials had a law enforcement debate.
Trump and Abe were best friends during Trump’s tenure in the White House and Abe’s tenure as prime minister. Perhaps no other leader in the world has been this close to Trump, as they made dozens of phone calls, visited each other’s countries many times, and even played golf together a few times. Trump said Abe was one of the first foreign leaders to recognize his victory after shocking the world in 2016 and defeating former Democratic Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton.
“He’s a great guy. He’s a great leader,” Trump told Breitbart News from Abe. He loves his country and loves our country. We make incredible deals together. We made a new deal in Japan. Japan had a unilateral agreement and it brought some justice because we had terrible trade deals with Japan. We changed. But he is my true friend. He is truly an extraordinary, incredible man. What a disaster for this world. He is a true leader of the world and everyone respects him. We used the G7 and everyone respected Shinzo. It’s a terrible thing that could happen.”
Abe’s loss certainly leaves a vacuum in the Indo-Pacific, an important geopolitical theater where the US competes with China, as the increasingly powerful Chinese Communist Party continues to seize control of the region. An important part of the US strategy to counter rising China is a strong Japan and a strong US-Japan relationship, and Trump told Breitbart News that he is not worried about being Japan because Japan is weak. Come to the authorities is supported by Abe.
“We have very good leaders in Japan right now that Shinzo really puts a certain degree on,” Trump said. “You know, Shinzo gave his blessing to their leader today. But loss is hard to catch. He is truly unique.”
Earlier in his speech, Trump also demanded that the attacker who killed Abe pay a “high price”.
“Before we begin, I want to offer my deepest condolences to the family of Shinzo Abe, a great, wonderful man,” Trump said. “He’s an incredible leader. I know him, he’s a tough businessman… He’s a man of great moral courage and an incredible personality. Prime Minister Abe is my friend, ally, and incredibly patriotic. Peace, freedom, and a priceless relationship between the United States and Japan.” “He was a tireless defender of the inextricable bond, and his murder was not only a terrible cruelty but also a crushing loss to the world. We will miss him terribly. And because it is about law and order, I hope the person who committed this crime pays a heavy price for the greatness he has taken on our planet.”
The continuation of Trump’s latest exclusive interview with Breitbart News is expected here in Las Vegas.
Source: Breitbart
