Donald Trump just absolutely loves it when everything is centered around him. So it’s certainly no surprise that he is riding high on being the first world leader to meet with Japan’s newly appointed Emperor Naruhito. He is currently indulging in a quite lavish four-day state visit to the country that features an elaborate ceremony, a state banquet with Japan Prime Minister Abe, and a sumo wrestling match that Trump refused tradition and would not sit on the floor at.
As part of the extravagant ceremony, Trump relished in a military band and throngs of children waving American and Japanese flags as he attended with his wife Melania and several White House aides including press secretary Sarah Sanders and national security advisor John Bolton.
In addition to all the ego stroking that Donald just couldn’t get enough of, Trump and first lady Melania also exchanged gifts with Japan’s newest emperor and empress. And of course, Trump did not miss an opportunity to make that all about himself as well.
Emperor Naruhito gifted president Trump a traditional piece of Japanese pottery and porcelain bowl while the empress presented Melania an ornamental box with a traditional Japanese design. Melania extended Empress Masako a White House desk set complete with a fountain pen carved from a red oak tree that stands on the grounds of Harvard University where the empress studied economics. And Donald just made shit weird.
When it was the president’s turn, he gave the emperor an American-made viola complete with a custom case that was handcrafted in Charleston, West Virginia, and an autographed photo… of himself.
White House correspondent for the New York Times Katie Rogers reported on the gift exchange:
White House says that during a gift exchange at the Imperial Palace, the president gave Emperor Naruhito an American-made viola and a signed photo of himself.
FLOTUS gave Empress Masako a pen made of Harvard tree wood — the empress attended Harvard — and a signed photo.
— Katie Rogers (@katierogers) May 27, 2019
To say the least, Twitter properly dragged the president for being a narcissistic asshat:
How big of an ego do narcissists have to have to actually believe that anyone would want an autograph as an actual gift? How fukcing embarrassing? Both need to get over themselves.
— Batman (@WayneCommaBruce) May 27, 2019
Who the hell gives signed photos of themselves? Worse, who considers that a gift? These people are goddamned nuts!
— Dave Doherty (@_dave_doherty) May 27, 2019
He is such a narcissist 😂
— Jeff Shaw (@jeffshaw8) May 27, 2019
Dear god who would want a signed photo of Trump as a gift… or at all… especially an emperor. So embarrassing.
— Kurt Teutsch 🏳️🌈💤 (@kurtimus) May 27, 2019
You can watch part of the ceremony here:
VIDEO: US President Donald Trump becomes the first foreign leader to meet Japan’s new Emperor Naruhito at a ceremony in Tokyo’s imperial palace pic.twitter.com/MV3a91dnJY
— AFP news agency (@AFP) May 27, 2019
Featured image via screen capture
