Former Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull came to Kevin Rudd’s defence after Donald Trump told Australia’s ambassador “I don’t like you, and I probably never will” at a White House meeting this week. Turnbull says the US president was having a joke and firing Rudd now would be a horrific thing for Australia.
The embarrassing moment occurred on Tuesday when Trump received Prime Minister Anthony Albanese at the White House with Rudd present right there. Trump’s joke received laughter from the entire room, and he allowed Rudd to apologise for attacking him in the past. Rudd reportedly apologised and Trump accepted it.
Opposition Wants Rudd Gone But Turnbull Disagrees
Opposition leader Sussan Ley was quick to say Rudd must be removed, asserting that he can no longer do his job adequately after Trump’s public dismissal. But Turnbull is not convinced. “I think it would be a very bad look for Rudd to be shifted now,” he said in an interview. He believes Trump’s remarks were “tongue-in-cheek” and getting revenge on Rudd was way down on Trump’s list of things to worry about.
Turnbull praised Albanese for his handling of the meeting, giving him an A-grade and stating the prime minister did a “10 out of 10” in his effort. He stated Albanese was able to compliment Trump without appearing to brown-nose him, and taking Rudd with him demonstrated strength not weakness. Turnbull even made a jibe about Ley, stating opposition leaders need to knock the government daily and “sometimes the things you say are not particularly momentous.”
Trump’s China Comments Surprise Experts
What actually got Turnbull’s attention was Trump claiming he gets on very well with Chinese President Xi Jinping and doesn’t believe there’ll ever be a fight over Taiwan. Trump indicated Australia may not even require the AUKUS submarine deal to keep China out because Xi is so close to him. “The China hawks in Canberra and Washington will be quite disappointed,” Turnbull claimed, saying Trump effectively dismissed the entire reason Australia is spending huge money on AUKUS.
Turnbull also poured cold water over Trump’s assurance that America will produce submarines and supply them to Australia in the early 2030s as part of AUKUS. “Unless there’s a sudden and dramatic acceleration of the build rates, it’s just simply not going to be able to sell us any,” he stated. America currently produces around 1.1 or 1.2 submarines annually and would need to more than double the rate to have spare boats to supply to Australia. Despite billions invested in submarine manufacturing, such as three billion US dollars from Australia, the figures haven’t moved.
News At Glance
- Trump said “I don’t like you” to Kevin Rudd during White House meeting on Tuesday
- Malcolm Turnbull says his remarks were tongue-in-cheek, and Rudd should remain
- Opposition leader Sussan Ley calls for Rudd to be taken out of the ambassador position
- Turnbull gave Albanese 10 out of 10 for managing the meeting
FAQs
- What did Trump tell Kevin Rudd?
He informed Australia’s ambassador “I don’t like you, and I probably never will” at the White House meeting.
- Does Malcolm Turnbull believe Rudd needs to be sacked?
No, it would be bad to let Rudd go now and Trump was only joking, he says.
- What does the Opposition want?
Sussan Ley claims Rudd needs to be sacked because his job is now untenable following Trump’s remarks.
- What did Trump say regarding China?
He stated that he gets along with Xi Jinping and does not believe there is a likelihood of war over Taiwan.
- Will Australia receive US submarines under AUKUS?
Turnbull is saying that America will increase its rate of submarine production more than two-fold from current levels.
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