Fact check: Did Trump say he wrote a letter to Japan with salutation Mr. Japan

1. Summary of the results

Yes, Trump did say he wrote a letter to Japan with the salutation "Mr. Japan." Multiple sources confirm this occurred during a Fox News interview with Maria Bartiromo ^{[1] [2]}. Trump specifically stated "Dear Mr. Japan: Here's the story" and continued with "you're going to pay a 25% tariff on your cars" ^{[1] [2] [3]}.

The sources consistently report that Trump used this unusual salutation when describing a hypothetical letter he would write to Japanese leaders regarding trade negotiations and tariff threats ^{[2] [3] [1]}. This appears to have been Trump's way of addressing Japan's leadership without knowing or using the actual name of the Japanese Prime Minister ^[1].

2. Missing context/alternative viewpoints

The original question lacks important context about when and why Trump made these comments. The sources reveal this occurred during discussions about trade negotiations and Trump's threat to impose 25% tariffs on Japanese cars ^{[2] [3]}. Trump was describing his approach to international trade deals and how he would communicate with foreign leaders about economic policies.

Some sources from the second analysis group focus on Trump's broader trade relationship with Japan without specifically mentioning the "Mr. Japan" comment, instead discussing his frustration over trade talks ^[4] and threats to impose tariffs up to 35% ^[5]. This suggests the "Mr. Japan" comment was part of a larger pattern of Trump's confrontational trade rhetoric with Japan.

The missing context includes that this was not necessarily an actual letter that was sent, but rather Trump describing how he would approach such correspondence in the context of trade negotiations.

3. Potential misinformation/bias in the original statement

The original question is factually accurate but potentially misleading in its brevity. By asking simply whether Trump said he wrote a letter with "Mr. Japan" as the salutation, it omits the crucial context that this was about trade policy and tariff threats ^{[2] [3]}.

Critics described Trump's comments as "insane" and "dangerously embarrassing" ^[1], suggesting they viewed this as evidence of Trump not knowing the Japanese Prime Minister's name ^[1]. However, the question doesn't capture whether this was intentional diplomatic language or an actual knowledge gap.

The framing could benefit those who want to either criticize Trump's diplomatic knowledge or defend his unconventional negotiating style, depending on how the context is presented. Media outlets covering this story appear to have emphasized the unusual nature of the salutation rather than the underlying trade policy discussions.