Morning Jolt: Why Japan Matters More in the New Trump Era

TODAY'S JOLT IS SPONSORED BY
WALMART

WITH JIM GERAGHTY

January 22 2025

Why Japan Matters More in the New Trump Era

On the menu today: You may not have thought much about U.S.-Japanese relations lately, but it's worth our attention as Donald Trump's second term begins. The threats from China and North Korea aren't going anywhere, Japan is in the midst of a historic arms buildup, and a Japanese company is one of the three big investors in the newly announced "Stargate" program. Our new secretary of state, Marco Rubio, could have met with any countries' counterparts on his first day, but he met with representatives of the three other members of "the Quad," India, Australia, and Japan. Read on.

Maintaining Alliances in an Era of 'America First'

Right after meeting with U.S. State Department employees and sending his first cable, secretary of state Marco Rubio held his first diplomatic meeting with his counterparts from "the Quad" — Australian foreign minister Penny Wong, Indian minister of external affairs Dr. Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, and Japanese foreign minister Takeshi ...

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