A former US ambassador to Japan has strongly criticized President Donald Trump’s trade and tariff policies in Asia, describing his relationship with Pakistan as a “major strategic blunder.” Speaking on a podcast, Rahm Emanuel, who served as ambassador from 2022 to 2025, asserted that Trump’s actions jeopardized decades of American diplomatic planning and regional partnerships aimed at countering China’s influence.
Emanuel noted that Asian leaders often approached meetings with Trump cautiously, trying to avoid confrontation and secure favorable outcomes. He explained how US diplomats under his guidance worked to build alliances in Japan, Korea, the Philippines, and Australia to counteract China’s economic coercion, effectively “isolating the isolator.”
However, according to Emanuel, this strategic framework began to falter under Trump’s administration. He specifically pointed to the mismanagement of India, a crucial counterweight to China, stating, “Our mismanagement of India, a major, major counterweight against China… the President of the United States has literally thrown away 40 years of meticulous strategic planning and preparation.”
The former ambassador attributed Trump’s strained relationship with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to ego, claiming Trump was disappointed when Modi did not publicly endorse him for a Nobel Prize. Furthermore, Emanuel alleged financial impropriety, suggesting that Trump’s dealings were influenced by money from Pakistan, which he claimed benefited Trump’s son and another individual’s son. He characterized this as a significant strategic misstep that China exploited.
Regarding economic policy, Emanuel criticized Trump’s imposition of tariffs on US allies, arguing it disregarded critical strategic realities, including defense spending, political alignment against China, and the necessity of economic integration through collaboration.
While acknowledging that Trump’s unconventional approach sometimes yielded results, as seen in Gaza, Emanuel warned that such unpredictability was detrimental in dealing with China. “That chaotic process worked in the final days here in Gaza… That chaotic process is now a detriment. That same tactic is a detriment in confronting China,” he concluded.