"Sanae Takaichi got an additional boost in the form of an endorsement from President Trump, which appears to be the first time a U.S. president has backed a Japanese leader in an election. "While Trump is often an outlier," noted a Kyodo News Agency report, "it is very rare for the leader of any country to back a specific political figure ahead of a national election in a foreign country.""
"Takaichi is leveraging her popularity to increase her political power, turning the election into a sort of referendum on her and her policies, says Koichi Nakano, a political scientist at Sophia University in Tokyo. "This election is really like a presidential election," Nakano says. Takaichi's message seems to be: " 'Give me power,' without really specifying what she's going to do.'"
"Despite robust approval ratings mostly in the 60% range, Takaichi, whom Trump praised as "strong, powerful and wise," has a fragile new coalition with a narrow majority in the lower house of parliament, and a minority in the upper house. Polls predict she could win a two-thirds majority in the House of Representatives, which could empower her to pursue a conservative agenda, with policies that, by her own admission, could prove highly controversial."
Sanae Takaichi is Japan's first female prime minister and is polling within reach of a decisive win in snap elections. She received an endorsement from President Trump, an uncommon instance of a U.S. president backing a foreign political leader. Approval ratings sit mostly in the 60% range, but her coalition holds only a narrow lower-house majority and a minority in the upper house. Polls forecast a possible two-thirds lower-house majority that could enable a conservative agenda. Takaichi has pledged bold, divisive reforms, framed the vote as a referendum on her leadership, and signals intent to alter post-war military restrictions.
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