While discussing the murder of former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe last summer, former President Donald Trump reflected on his friendship with Abe over the weekend.
The two men are very close and have “a lot of correspondence between” them, which prompted Trump to remark on an appearance on Fox News’ “Life, Liberty & Levin” with host Mark Levin.
He was a handsome guy. A man of great dignity. Trump has declared, “He loved his country.” I got along with him well, and he was a golf fanatic. We hit the links. He — Ernie Ells was a big outstanding golfer and someone we played with in this country which was held in high esteem.
“Abe cherished Japan and the Japanese people. And he revered the United States,” Trump remarked. I had extensive dealings with Abe and became acquainted with him. Also, he was a very good man. I anticipated his return.
The death of Abe, Trump has remarked, was a “very sad day” in his life.
Abe was giving a campaign address on July 8 outside a railway station in Nara in western Japan when Tetsuya Yamagami allegedly opened fire on the former leader with a handmade gun. Prosecutors claim Yamagami is mentally competent to stand trial after he underwent a nearly six-month evaluation.
According to the Nara District Court, Yamagami was also accused of breaking a weapons control legislation.
Yamagami allegedly informed police that he murdered Abe, one of Japan’s most influential and polarizing politicians, due to Abe’s ties to a religious sect that Yamagami despised. Yamagami has claimed in interviews and on social media that he harbors resentment toward his mother for making large donations to the Unification Church, which he claims led to the financial downfall of his family.
His defense team will do everything possible to lower Yamagami’s sentence, but lawyer Masaaki Furukawa implied that Yamagami hadn’t accepted responsibility for the serious repercussions of his alleged acts.
Japan has a death penalty for murder, but experts say it’s rarely applied, and Yamagami might get life in jail if he’s found guilty.
Read Trump’s interview with Mark Levin HERE.
