Trump’s MoronicAnalogy: A Disturbing Display of Ignorance in Comparing Iran Strikes to Hiroshima

The recent remarks made by Trump, in which he likened the US military actions against Iran to the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, have drawn strong condemnation from Japan.

During a press conference on Wednesday, Trump stated, “That hit ended the war.” While he expressed a reluctance to explicitly reference Hiroshima and Nagasaki, he insisted that the situations were fundamentally similar. The bombings in August 1945 resulted in the deaths of approximately 140,000 individuals in Hiroshima and 70,000 in Nagasaki, leaving enduring psychological scars and increased cancer risks for survivors.

Nagasaki’s Mayor Shiro Suzuki expressed deep concern over Trump’s comments, stating, “If this justifies the dropping of the atomic bomb, it is extremely regrettable for us as a city that was bombed.”

Mimaki Toshiyuki, co-chair of the Nobel Peace Prize-winning organization Nihon Hidankyo, which advocates for atomic bomb survivors, declared Trump’s remarks “unacceptable.” Another member of the group, Teruko Yokoyama, conveyed her frustration, saying, “I’m really disappointed. All I have is anger,” as reported by Kyodo News.

In response to Trump’s comments, survivors of the atomic bombings organized a protest in Hiroshima on Thursday, demanding that the President retract his statement. Additionally, lawmakers in Hiroshima passed a resolution rejecting any justification for the use of atomic bombs and urged that conflicts be resolved through peaceful means.

When questioned about the possibility of a formal complaint to the US government regarding Trump’s remarks, Chief Cabinet Secretary Hayashi Yoshimasa stated that Japan has consistently communicated its stance on nuclear weapons to Washington.

Trump’s comments arose as he defended his administration against a leaked intelligence report asserting that US strikes on Iran had only briefly delayed its nuclear program. In contrast, Trump claimed that the strikes had “obliterated” the program and set it back “decades,”.

As the only nation to have endured a nuclear attack, Japan holds the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki as painful historical events. In Hiroshima, a peace flame, symbolizing the country’s opposition to nuclear weapons, has been continuously burning since the 1960s. Moreover, a clock measuring the days since the last nuclear attack is prominently displayed at the entrance of a war museum. World leaders visiting Hiroshima are traditionally asked to create paper cranes as a commitment to peace.