According to White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt, Takaichi told Trump that she would recommend him for the Nobel Peace Prize. Trump has been complaining about the Nobel Committee for not picking him to win the accolade despite what he says are his efforts to end multiple conflicts around the world.

Speaking to the media on Saturday after a phone conversation with the president, Takaichi said she had “praised his leadership” in efforts to bring about peace in the Middle East.

Some of Takaichi’s staunchest supporters, however, have raised their eyebrows over her administration’s decision.

“It’s purely diplomacy,” said Ken Kato, a member of Takaichi’s Liberal Democratic Party who supported her in the party leadership election earlier this month.