Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga on Saturday expressed hope that U.S. President Donald Trump will recover soon from the COVID-19 illness caused by the novel coronavirus.
"I was very worried about you when I read your tweet saying that you and Madam First Lady tested positive for COVID-19," Suga said in a Twitter post. "I sincerely pray for your early recovery and hope that you and Madam First Lady will return to normal life soon."
The post, written both in Japanese and English, came after Trump tweeted Friday that the couple tested positive for the virus.
Dear President Trump,
I was very worried about you when I read your tweet saying that you and Madam First Lady tested positive for COVID-19. I sincerely pray for your early recovery and hope that you and Madam First Lady will return to normal life soon. https://t.co/KcZHxqzhNg
— 菅 義偉 (@sugawitter) October 2, 2020
Suga held his first one-on-one telephone talks with Trump last month, with the U.S.-Japan security alliance topping the agenda in the 25-minute talks.
Trump moved to a military hospital for treatment on Friday after being diagnosed with the virus as his administration and election campaign scrambled to adjust to an extraordinary twist in his turbulent presidency.