Former President Donald Trump met with another foreign leader on Tuesday while he is in New York to attend a criminal trial over “hush money”, US media reported.
Taro Aso, 83, who is currently vice president of Japan’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party, entered Trump Tower in Manhattan on Tuesday night and met with the former US president for about an hour. Trump said as he escorted Aso into the building, referring to the late Prime Minister Shinzo Abe:
He’s a highly respected man in Japan and beyond and somebody that I’ve liked and I’ve known through our very dear friend Shinzo.
They discussed the importance of the US-Japan alliance for security and stability in the Indo-Pacific region, as well as the challenges posed by China and North Korea, Trump’s campaign said in a statement.
Trump also praised Japan’s increased defence spending, the statement said.
Trump is in New York to take part in a criminal trial in which prosecutors allege he falsified business records to conceal a $130,000 hush money payment to porn star Stormy Daniels, who claims they had a sexual encounter 10 years ago, to avoid hurting his chances in the 2016 election.
Aso was a deputy prime minister under Abe, who was in close contact with Trump during his presidency. A long-time influencer in Japanese politics, Aso has decades of experience shaping US-Japan ties.
Japan has been trying to reach out to people close to Trump ahead of the November 5 U.S. presidential election, fearing that if he wins, Trump could resume protectionist trade measures or take other steps that could hurt Japan’s economy or affect its strong defence ties with the United States.
Trump and Aso’s meeting came about two weeks after US President Joe Biden and Prime Minister Fumio Kishida unveiled plans for military cooperation and a series of projects aimed at strengthening the US-Japan alliance.
