While the world reels from Donald Trump‘s second election victory, the president-elect himself reels from the concept of time zones, according to a former Trump NSC official.
A staffer who served under Trump’s first term told Politico that on several occasions in the first year of his administration, Trump wanted to call former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe midafternoon. However, the afternoon in Washington D.C. is the middle of the night in Tokyo.
Trump’s aides explained that Abe would be fast asleep. But that wasn’t enough, they claim. One “diplomatic source” who contributed to the 2018 story said the issue came up on “a constant basis.”
“He wasn’t great with recognizing that the leader of a country might be 80 or 85 years old and isn’t going to be awake or in the right place at 10:30 or 11 p.m. their time,” said the former official. “When he wants to call someone, he wants to call someone,” added another source who claimed to be close to Trump.
Staffers would explain, “the time is messed up, it’s one o’clock in the morning,” and offer to schedule a call on his calendar for later. Former national security adviser H.R. McMaster would reportedly say, “We can try to set it up.”
Trump is well-traveled — people who come from generational wealth often are. His presidential faux pas therefore could speak to impulsivity more than a lack of understanding. “He’s more impulsive that way. He doesn’t think about what time it is or who it is,” the person close to Trump said.
His supporters think such accusations are overblown and misleading. Detractors, though, are stuck on his appreciation of Abe, who was a conservative politician and active member of the Japanese House of Representatives before he was assassinated on July 8, 2022.
Their professional relationship began with a call in November 2016, when serving prime minister Abe congratulated Trump on his victory and told him the U.S. would excel under his leadership. A record of the phone call published by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan also states that Trump expressed “high esteem” for Abe’s achievements.
Abe was a controversial figure due to his staunch conservatism and association with the Nippon Kaigi — a nationalist far-right organization accused of historical negationism, particularly concerning the government’s role in recruiting comfort women during World War II.
Trump is notorious for cozying up to political figures who are more divisive than the average. His desire to build a strong relationship with Russian president Vladamir Putin was evident during his first term, despite increasing knowledge of Russian bots influencing the 2016 election.
It would be befuddling if it weren’t for Trump’s criminal history and the boons right-wing international allies provide him: Russian military intelligence officers helped him win in 2016; Elon Musk supplied a modern, tech-bro, vibe to his otherwise dated 2024 campaign; Trump had no qualms embracing the North Korean dictator Kim Jong-Un.
Trump is far from the only U.S. to engage with problematic world leaders, though — and good luck finding one that isn’t problematic. Most bigwigs, whether they be presidents, prime ministers, or kings, have a duty to maintain foreign relations. It’s part of the job, but Trump is especially cynical, praising leaders infamous for allegedly ordering assassinations of their opposition and who threaten nuclear war.
Russian interference in the election points to an alarming red flag concerning Trump’s relations: despite the facade of a two-sided embrace, Russian officials had zero respect for Trump’s ability to win the election on merit or American democracy. The exact intentions of the intelligent officers will never be truly known in detail, but experts have speculated that Trump was viewed as an easily manipulated plant. All well and good, until he starts calling you during your beauty sleep.