Reuters / Kevin Lamarque
Donald Trump reportedly left Japanese officials “incredulous” after he backed a GOP megadonor’s bid to build a casino in the country in front of Prime Minister Shinzō Abe. Casino magnate Sheldon Adelson was one of Trump’s biggest benefactors, donating $20 million during the presidential campaign and a further $5 million for the inauguration. In February 2017, Adelson dined with Trump at the White House. The morning after, Adelson had breakfast with Abe. After that, Trump met with Abe and reportedly backed Adelson’s long-held ambition to build a multibillion-dollar casino resort in Japan. Japanese officials were reportedly surprised by Trump’s intervention. “It was totally brought up out of the blue,” according to a person said to have been briefed on the exchange. “They were a little incredulous that he would be so brazen.” Trump told Abe he should strongly consider Adelson’s Las Vegas Sands for a license, but the source said “Abe didn’t really respond, and said thank you for the information.”