'Islamic Republic Of Japan'? Trump's NATO Gaffe Goes Viral, Internet Says 'Konichiwallahi'

Published 9 July 2026 · europe

'Islamic Republic Of Japan'? Trump's NATO Gaffe Goes Viral, Internet Says 'Konichiwallahi' Written By, Last Updated: July 09, 2026, 14:20 IST While discussing US military

'Islamic Republic Of Japan'? Trump's NATO Gaffe Goes Viral, Internet Says 'Konichiwallahi' Written By, Last Updated: July 09, 2026, 14:20 IST While discussing US military operations at the NATO summit, Donald Trump appeared to mistakenly refer to Iran as the 'Islamic Republic of Japan', triggering a flood of memes online 'Islamic Republic Of Japan'? Trump's NATO Gaffe Goes Viral, Internet Says 'Konichiwallahi' US President Donald Trump has once again gone viral, and this time it’s for an apparent mi up that left the internet scratching its head and then reaching for the meme templates. Speaking during a NATO summit Q&A alongside Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Trump appeared to mistakenly refer to Iran as the “Islamic Republic of Japan" while discussing US military operations and the effectiveness of American air defence systems.

The moment came when Trump shifted from a question about Ukraine’s Patriot missile interceptors to recalling an attack on the USS Abraham Lincoln. “We had 111 missiles shot by the Islamic Republic of Japan. They were shot at the aircraft carrier over a period of about one hour," Trump said. He appeared to be referring to the Islamic Republic of Iran, not Japan. Within minutes, clips of the exchange spread across X, with users turning the apparent slip into a meme moment. One user shared the video and wrote: “Arigato Aleikum" while another added, “Konichiwallahi, my brother." Some users also commented on Trump and the questions of mental stability that have dogged him throughout his tenure. Bro looked into the infinite Multiverses and discovered the Islamic Republic of Japan vids that go hard (@vidsthatgohard) July 8, 2026 One comment read: “Homie got a glimpse into an alternate timeline" while another user added, “I don’t think this dude is passing his weekly cognitive tests." Another popular comment read: “Bro looked into the infinite Multiverses and discovered the Islamic Republic of Japan." One more user took it to another level by writing: “I JOIN DONALD TRUMP IN CONDEMNING THE FOLLOWING NATIONS: THE ISLAMIC REPUBLIC OF JAPAN, THE JAPANESE REPUBLIC OF ISLAM, THE UNITED FEDERATION OF NARNIA, THE REFLECTING POOL NATION OF ALGAE-RIA, AND THE DONALD TRUMP REPUBLIC OF DUMBODIA & TACOSTAN." The moment also drew political reactions.

JB Pritzker posted on News18 Newsletter Handpicked stories, in your inbox A newsletter with the best of our journalism submit About the Author Mallika Bhagat Deputy News Editor Mallika Bhagat is a Deputy News Editor at News18, where she leads the Lifestyle and Viral desks. A seasoned journalist and content strategist, she brings a decade of high-impact experience from India’... Read More First