Sanae Takaichi has won a historic vote to become Japan’s first female prime minister, the BBC reports.
The 64-year-old conservative is known as Japan’s “Iron Lady.” She’s an admirer of the UK’s former PM Margaret Thatcher.
This is her third attempt at becoming Japan’s leader, and she’s the fourth PM in five years from her scandal-hit party, the LDP.
She belongs to the LDP’s hardline wing and is a protege of the late former PM Shinzo Abe.
Trump had earlier hailed her as a “highly respected person of great wisdom.”
Now that she’s elected, Takaichi’s challenges will include fixing a sluggish economy, navigating a rocky US-Japan relationship and uniting a divided ruling party.
