First Lady of Japan pretends she can’t speak English to avoid talking to Donald Trump

Akie Abe has been hailed an international hero for appearing to avoid talking to American president Donald Trump at a G20 dinner last month, by pretending she can’t speak English.

The first lady of Japan was seated next to Trump at a dinner held after the G20 summit in Germany but she apparently didn’t say one word to the president, not even ‘hello’.

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"So, I was seated next to the wife of Prime Minister Abe, who I think is a terrific guy, and she’s a terrific woman, but doesn’t speak English," Trump told The New York Times. "Like, not (even) 'hello.'"

Since Trump’s interview, a video of Abe giving a 15 minute keynote speech where she speaks entirely in English has surfaced.

This video seems to refute Trump’s belief that Abe isn’t able to say a single word of English - and the internet is loving it.

Many have taken the video as ‘proof’ Abe went to extreme measures to avoid having a conversation with the controversial president and hailed her a hero and ‘deeply relatable’ for her actions.

To be honest, for a woman who apparently can't speak a word of English she sounds pretty fluent here:

People on Twitter have been throwing shade at Trump and cheering on the first lady of Japan for spending two hours in silence to avoid having a conversation with a man who is infamous for a never ending list of controversies.

The First Lady of Japan is an American hero. https://t.co/N7l3qdB3eU

— David Samsel (@dssnyc) July 20, 2017

If the First Lady of Japan truly pretended not to speak English for 2 hours to avoid talking to Trump she's both a hero and deeply relatable

— Emma Gray (@emmaladyrose) July 20, 2017

Japan's First Lady is the level of petty I aspire to be at pic.twitter.com/KAr6sS4IxN

— (@roluxes) July 21, 2017

Trump inaccurately complains about Akie Abe's lack of English. But majority of foreign leaders he meets seem far more fluent than him

— Ishaan Tharoor (@ishaantharoor) July 20, 2017

Akie Abe has released a statement saying she didn’t realise Trump spoke English either. #TheProjectTV

— #TheProjectTV (@theprojecttv) July 21, 2017

Akie Abe pretending she doesn't speak English to avoid talking to Trump is next level petty and I have nothing but respect for it pic.twitter.com/RYkTvw0Xs2

— Catie Hogan (@CatieHogan) July 20, 2017