The following is an edited transcript excerpt from The Michael Knowles Show. * * * President Trump just gave the finest one liner in the history of press conferences.  So here is President Trump, sitting in the Oval Office yesterday with the Japanese prime minister, who seems to adore him. When she arrives at the White House, for example, she runs up and gives him a big hug. He proceeds to show her the Hall of Presidents, on the White House little walkway there by the Rose Garden, and she sees Joe Biden’s picture is just an auto pen and seems to get a huge kick out of it. Trump also got along famously with Shinzo Abe. So, there’s something about Trump and Japan — they get along great. It’s like white on rice, to use an apt metaphor. In any case, while they’re sitting in the Oval Office, a reporter asks President Trump why he did not tell everyone about the attack on Iran before he launched it. “Japan and U.S. are very good friends. But one question — why didn’t you tell U.S. allies in Europe and Asia, like Japan, about the war before taking action? We are very confused.” Trump responded, “Well, one thing — you don’t want to signal too much. When we go in, we went in very hard, and we didn’t tell anybody about it because we wanted surprise. Who knows better about surprise than Japan? Okay? Why didn’t you tell me about Pearl Harbor? Right? He’s asking me, do you believe in surprise? I think much more so than us.” Trump: “Who knows better about surprise than Japan? Why didn’t you tell me about Pearl Harbor?” pic.twitter.com/O5t0EWoOkw — Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) March 19, 2026 Just magnificent. I don’t know how to frame a clip, but that’s it. No one will ever beat it. Jeremy Boreing took me out for dinner last night for my birthday, and we were talking about how Trump is Elvis. Trump is Elvis. Now, Jeremy has criticized Trump many times over the years, but he believes the guy is just amazing at this. He’s Elvis. So, Trump is sitting there, and he gets the question: Why didn’t you tell people about the attack? And he starts to give a serious answer by saying: Well, you know, I didn’t want to signal… And then that showbiz brain kicks in: Hey — who knows more about surprises than you guys? At that point he could have gotten up, grabbed a stool, lit a cigarette, spotlight on him like he’s in a comedy club in New York: Let me tell you about these guys… we got some of our Japanese friends here, am I right? You guys know a little bit about surprises? Why didn’t you tell me about Pearl Harbor? Just a great bit. I’m going to miss him very, very much after his fourth or fifth term — whatever. I know, at a certain point, after he’s 120 years old, life will take its course. But I’m just sorry we’re already in the second term. We’ve only got, what, two or three terms left? It’s beautiful. And it’s not just funny — it’s a serious point. The serious point he’s making is that you don’t telegraph your moves when you’re engaging in war, even when you’re engaging in ordinary politics. And he conveys that serious point with humor, and people take note. Antonin Scalia used to do this in his Supreme Court opinions and dissents. He would use funny lines like “applesauce,” and “did you ask the nearest hippie?” These are real lines Scalia used. Why did he do it? Because it’s funny and it grabs your attention. It’s memorable. It sticks in the minds of law students and it’s going to shape American jurisprudence. Same thing here. Very, very funny — and very, very smart.