MeidasTouch host Ben Meiselas reports on Japan showing who really holds the cards in trade negotiations with Donald Trump. Thanks to Brain.fm! Unlock your brain’s full potential FREE for 30 days by going to brain.fm/MEIDAS Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Chapter 1: What warning did Japan's finance minister give to the US?
Japan's finance minister, Katsunobu Kato, had a powerful message for the United States. If you treat us in Japan with disrespect over these tariff negotiations, we could use the nuclear option. We have the largest holdings of U.S. treasuries in the world. totaling over $1 trillion. You treat us with disrespect, Donald, we will dump those and we can crash the United States markets.
So don't test us. Don't treat us with disrespect. Don't dishonor us. And Japan has objected to the way the United States has presented these trade proposals. Now, This should be an easy deal to make with Japan. We already had a trade deal with Japan in 2018 that Donald Trump negotiated.
Chapter 2: Why is Japan objecting to the US trade proposals?
And now that Donald Trump wants to dishonor Japan, treat Japan with disrespect, Japan is objecting to the trade proposal. And right now there's been no deal. Now, Donald Trump has told us what week after week after week. We're about to do a deal with Japan. I'm about to do a deal with India and Japan. We're announcing it. It's right around the corner. It's right around the corner.
That has not taken place despite all of Donald Trump's lies that it's going to happen. And to me, this is a major indicator again because the deal with Japan should be the easiest deals. Now, we got a whiff that things were going very bad.
when japan's prime minister ashiba back on april 21st 2025 said we're not rushing into anything we want to strike a fair deal we don't want to be disrespected and japan just can't keep on conceding things to the u.s without getting anything in return japan is not going to do that Then messages got out that a deal with Japan may not take days, but maybe weeks away.
And, you know, one of the things that we're learning about as well is, and you see right here, Japan's lead tariff negotiator, Roy Siakazawa, just says things just generally are not going good. And Prime Minister Ashiba's administration saying Japan's prepared to use its role as America's largest creditor as leverage in the trade talks.
Chapter 3: What does Japan's largest creditor status mean for trade negotiations?
So if that's how our close allies are treating us, how do you think the rest of the world is viewing us right now? I want to just show you some data points here as well. Why is Japan saying this now? Well, if you've been watching the Midas Touch Network, you know we've been following Prime Minister Ashiba's actions.
One of the things that Japan saw that they took big notice of, the elections in Canada. You go, how could the elections in Canada impact Japan? It's why on this network we have a global focus so you can see the connections. The same reason that the Canadian elections also had a big impact on the Australian elections. And it's the Trump effect.
Chapter 4: How are Canadian elections affecting Japan's stance on trade?
When Trump is dishonoring nations, treating nations like crap, A resistance rises against Donald Trump. And if leaders are obsequious to Donald Trump and try to appease Donald Trump, they're punished at the ballot box. Take a look at the Japan Times, for example. The Trump effect on elections is just beginning, including in Japan. And this article talks about how Trump.
Chapter 5: What is the 'Trump effect' on global politics?
The governing party in Japan is worried that the government could be toppled by the opposition party if they strike a bad deal with Trump, look weak, and they get mocked by Donald Trump. Let me show you an opposition party member of parliament. I've showed this clip before, but it's worth playing right now. Here's an opposition member, and here's what he has to say. Here, play this clip.
Chapter 6: How is Trump's behavior impacting Japan's internal politics?
What the United States is saying is completely unreasonable. The logic is all over the place and there's no consistency. However, when Japan negotiates regarding what they're saying, well, to put it clearly, it's close to extortion by juvenile delinquents.
If Japan gives in and follows their unreasonable demand, saying it's negotiation or a deal, it will set a bad precedent and create a negative example. If the extorter gains money once, it's certain that they will extort again. The formula itself is a complete mess. I wasn't great at math, but if that showed up in a math exam, it would definitely score zero.
That's why although Minister Akazawa is serious and capable, there is also concern about whether a serious person can handle it. Since they are not reasonable, they won't listen to reasonable things. Although I said every option, you absolutely must not provide information to an unreasonable opponent. If you get concessions that way, it will set a bad example.
Anyway, please do not give in to the extortion from the US, though it's really bad to say it, but this is extortion. If we listen to this, it will really become a bad example.
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Going back to the other data point that I wanted to talk about with Trump's disrespect as well, On, it was Thursday, Donald Trump spoke where University of Alabama, he gave that disrespectful speech where he was like doing the, remember he was doing that move. It was the whole thing was just so utterly weird. Go back and watch the video that I did on that.
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Chapter 7: What are the misconceptions about Japan's tariffs on US cars?
They're like, Ben, what the hell are you talking about? Go and watch it. But here, Donald Trump says that the US can sell cars in Japan because it's tariffing the hell out of the United States. Japan hasn't imposed a tariff on car imports since 1978. Trump has no clue what the hell he's talking about.
Play this clip. Pretty soon, sooner than most people think, because that's what other countries have been doing to us. Just so you understand, they were tariffing the hell out of us. We couldn't sell cars in Europe. We couldn't sell cars in China. We couldn't sell cars in Japan or anywhere else. We couldn't do anything.
Now, the Financial Times reported last week that Donald Trump is attacking Japan over a, quote, bowling ball test that Donald Trump takes issue with. Where Donald Trump says, in Japan, in addition to tariffing our cars, which they don't, they drop bowling balls. This is what Donald Trump says. Is it crazy? They drop bowling balls on the roofs of our cars.
And then when the cars break, they say, we're not buying American. Trump has, quote, puzzled trade negotiators in Tokyo after complaining about a test where he claims a bowling ball is dropped on a car. Japan does not carry out such tests. Here's from April 24, 2025. This was Charles Gasparino from Fox's Big Scoop. People inside the Trump White House are alerting Wall Street execs.
Chapter 8: What bizarre claim did Trump make about Japan's car tariffs?
They are nearing an agreement in principle on trade with India. According to my sources, Gasparino warns, we've been here with Japan, but there has not been any deals yet with Japan. It's all market manipulation. They go tell this to Wall Street. They spike the stock prices for a few days. Then they get dumped. Main Street gets hard, gets hurt.
And the billionaire oligarchs who get the tips from the Trump regime about when they're going to message these things and not do them. They make money and we the people get absolutely screwed over these things right here.
Japan's press secretary, Kitamura Toshishiro, he was in the Philippines this past week talking about the bilateral relationships with the Philippines, broader relations in the region as well. Here's what he talks about in terms of dealing with Trump.
And I want you to, when you watch it, I want you to see how Japan's press secretary, Kitamura Toshihiro, just how composed he is and contrasted to Trump's behavior. Play this clip.
This morning, our prime minister met a representative of Japanese community here, and he heard the concerns and opinions of the local businessmen. And With regard to the U.S. tariff issues, our Prime Minister had a telephone conversation with President Trump earlier this month, and they have decided to establish, to launch a ministerial dialogue between two countries.
And Minister Akasawa was designated as Chief of Negotiator, and he had already advanced ministerial discussions in Washington, D.C. Now he is visiting Washington DC to hold the second round of this negotiation. As for the US tariff issues, I think that the tariff actions could affect a lot on the global economy as well as this free trade system.
So we heard the concerns of the Japanese community this morning as well, and based on those opinions and concerns, we conveyed our message to our counterpart of the US, and we hope that we can find a good solution between two countries, which is not only good for two countries, but good for the world, including the Philippines.
And finally, I had the opportunity a few weeks back to do this interview with the United States, the former U.S. ambassador to Japan, Rahm Emanuel. And if you want, when do we do? We did this in March, right? Mid-March, actually, I think. We did it before the Liberation Day, you know, or Liquidation Day, I think, or right around then. We were warning about this months ago.
Japan, China, Philippines. And it was important for me to give you all the warnings because you could just follow the data. If you speak to the experts and you follow the data, like if you follow the freight levels, if you follow the trucking volumes, if you see the ships aren't coming into the ports,
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