Why Is Shinzo Abe Saving Donald Trump In Memes? Jokes About Abe's Spirit Guarding Trump From Harm Explained

One of the crazier memes that followed the failed assassination attempt on Donald Trump at the Butler rally this weekend was former Prime Minister of Japan Shinzo Abe being the guardian spirit who protected Trump from getting shot.

Where does the bizarre Shinzo Abe Saved Donald Trump meme get its roots and who has been making these images? Learn more in our brief explainer below.

What Is The ‘Shinzo Abe Saved Donald Trump' Meme?

On July 13th, 2024, a failed assassination attempt on United States former President and presidential candidate Donald Trump occurred at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. During the shooting, one of the gunman's bullets grazed Trump's upper right ear before he was rushed off the stage by the Secret Service.

Following the event, memes that imagined the former Prime Minister of Japan, who himself was assassinated in 2022, saw spread online. In the memes, Shinzo Abe sends a signal to Trump to turn his head or even takes a material form akin to a stand from JoJo's Bizarre Adventure to stop the bullet mid-air.

Where Do ‘Shinzo Abe Saved Donald Trump’ Memes Come From?

On July 13th, 2024, X user @CatholicXenu posted the earliest meme that started the trend, posting a photograph of Donald Trump staring up at the solar eclipse in 2017 and a viral edit of Shinzo Abe looking down from heaven, captured with a dialogue in which Trump thanks Abe for "redirecting the bullet" and calling him a "crazy yellow bastard."

After that, more memes imagining Abe's spirit coming to Trump's aid appeared on both X / Twitter and 4chan, where Abe has been a lasting subject of memes such as edits in which he urged Japanese citizens to procreate.

What's The Backstory Of Shinzo Abe And Donald Trump's Friendly Relationship?

While the meme may seem completely unhinged at a glance, there's a larger story at play: Donald Trump and Shinzo Abe had a friendly relationship during Trump's presidency over their shared conservative values and love of golf. Abe was the first foreign leader to meet Trump following his election in 2016, and during Trump's 2019 visit to Japan, the two spent time together playing golf and watching sumo, among other things.

In 2022, after Abe was assassinated in Japan, Trump mourned the former Prime Minster, writing, "Few people know what a great man and leader Shinzo Abe was. […] Shinzo Abe will be greatly missed. There will never be another like him."

For the full history of Shinzo Abe Saved Donald Trump, be sure to check out Know Your Meme's encyclopedia entry for more information.