'President for life': Internet mocks Trump as he gifts former Japanese PM Taro Aso key to White House

MANHATTAN, NEW YORK: On Tuesday, April 23, former President Donald Trump met with former Japanese Prime Minister Taro Aso at Trump Tower in New York City.

Trump presented Aso with a ceremonial key to the White House during their meeting. Aso, a controversial figure who has previously made statements praising Nazis and Adolf Hitler, expressed his gratitude for the gift and remarked that it was a "great honor" to meet Trump, per OK! Magazine.

This meeting took place while the 77-year-old MAGA strongman was in the Big Apple for his hush money criminal trial, which involves charges related to payments made to women who claimed to have had affairs with him.

Despite no longer holding public office, Trump continues to wield significant influence within the Republican Party and remains a prominent figure in American politics.

What did Donald Trump say to reporters about his meeting with Taro Aso?

Donald Trump spoke with reporters while greeting Aso in the Trump Tower lobby, “He’s a highly respected man in Japan and beyond," the 2024 presumptive GOP nominee remarked, adding. "It's a great honor to have him.”

However, the former POTUS presenting Aso with a ceremonial key to the White House didn’t go down well on the Internet as people chastised Trump for acting as though he’s still the Commander-in-Chief.

Per the Washington Post, Trump had previously told Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, “Even when I’m not president anymore, you can walk up to the front gate of the White House and present it, and they will let you in,” according to the 2022 book by his son-in-law and former advisor Jared Kushner.

Former Japanese Deputy Prime Minister Taro Aso is the latest foreign leader to meet with Donald Trump in recent weeks.

Trump's recent meetings with Polish President Andrzej Duda, British Foreign Secretary David Cameron, and Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán have also garnered quite the buzz online.

With US allies preparing for the possibility of Trump winning back the White House this November, these meetings can be looked at as significant.

Former President Donald Trump and President Joe Biden are now tied in a close contest, even as Trump faces a criminal trial in Manhattan and three more criminal indictments, making it the first time in United States history that a former POTUS has been criminally prosecuted.

Trump's relationship with Shinzo Abe, the former Japanese Prime Minister who was assassinated in 2022, underlined the importance of personal ties in foreign affairs.

Trump reportedly got to know Aso “through our very dear friend, Shinzo,” whom he praised as "one of my favorite people in the world."

"We loved Shinzo," the embattled ex-commander-in-chief remarked. “Shinzo was a great friend of mine. He was truly a great man and somebody that we all respected and we really loved. And I miss him greatly."

Aso, now 83 years old, served as deputy prime minister and finance minister under Abe and is now vice president of the Japanese Liberal Democratic Party. He is considered a kingmaker in his country’s politics, according to ABC News.

Japan has been concerned about the impact of a possible Trump victory on the country's trade relations and security ties with the US

Aso's New York visit comes at a critical time for Japan, as it tries to build stronger ties with the US while navigating the challenges posed by the geopolitical tensions in the region.

Japanese Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa declined to comment on Aso's trip to New York, saying "the government is not involved and it's his personal activity" as a politician.

Internet rebukes Trump for gifting a ceremonial key to White House to Taro Haso

One X user remarked, "Still pretending to be president This is actually kind of sad."

Another user asked, "But he does understand that he isn’t president anymore?"

Another user said, "He will never let go. He believes he is president for life."

One user claimed, "They’d arrest Trump if he went anywhere near the place and he’s pretending he has a “key”.

Another X user quipped, "They both misunderstand what it means to be former something. Things change. Move on."

Another user wrote, "Umm…what? When did people gift “keys” to the White House? Was that ever a thing? Also he’s not even president."

Finally, this user tweeted, "This would be funny if it wasn’t so pathetic."

This article contains remarks made on the Internet by individual people and organizations. MEAWW cannot confirm them independently and does not support claims or opinions being made online.