Australian PM Albanese Says He Had "Very Warm" Discussion with President Donald Trump
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has said that he had a “warm” conversation with U.S. President Donald Trump following his Labor Party’s major victory in the weekend’s national election, during which they discussed trade and other matters.
Speaking to reporters in Canberra on Monday, Albanese said that during their phone call they exchanged congratulations and talked about tariffs and the AUKUS nuclear submarine partnership. “It was a very warm conversation about the friendship between our two countries, which is very important,” Albanese said.
“I’ve spoken with the President three times. I won’t share all his personal remarks, but he was very generous in expressing warmth and praise. He was fully aware of the election result and expressed his interest in working with me in the future.”
Albanese made these remarks following Saturday’s national election, where rising concerns over the cost of living and the potential impact of Trump’s trade wars played a significant role.
The left-leaning Labor Party, which had often trailed behind the Liberal-National coalition led by former police officer Peter Dutton, outperformed expectations and secured at least 85 seats in the 151-member parliament. The Dutton-led coalition, which critics accused of mimicking Trump-style populist politics, suffered a heavy defeat. Partial results showed they were leading in only 40 seats.
Australia, one of America’s closest allies, has been subject to a 10% import tariff under Trump’s so-called “reciprocal” trade policy.
Although Trump has temporarily suspended his proposed tariff hikes until July, his administration has imposed a baseline 10% tariff on nearly all imports since last April.
At the time, Albanese criticized Trump’s tariff policy as “unreasonable,” stating, “This is not how a friend acts.”
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