Aus PM Meets With Donald Trump
Donald Trump heaped praise on Australia and Prime Minister Anthony Albanese during their long-awaited White House meeting, calling the nation “a fantastic place” and saying there has “never been anybody better” to the US.
The meeting delivered major outcomes, including:
A multibillion-dollar minerals deal aimed at reducing China’s dominance in global supply chains.
A renewed US commitment to AUKUS, confirming Australia will receive the submarines it’s paying for.
A possible Trump visit to Australia.
But tensions briefly surfaced when Australia’s ambassador to the US, Kevin Rudd, came under fire. When asked about Rudd’s past critical posts, Trump quipped, “Maybe he’d like to apologise,” before adding, “I don’t like you either, and I probably never will.” Albanese laughed it off, and the meeting continued.
Trump reaffirmed support for AUKUS, saying of the Virginia-class submarines, “Oh no, they’re getting them,” while US Navy Secretary John Phelan hinted at tweaks to “clarify some of the ambiguity” in the deal.
Albanese said the new A$8.5 billion critical minerals pipeline would help Australia and the US build self-sufficiency. “It’s about not just digging them up, but creating value across the supply chain,” he said.
The meeting capped off with Albanese inviting Trump to visit Australia — an offer the president said he would “seriously consider.”