Trump berated Australia PM Turnbull, cut phone call short: Washington Post
U.S. President Donald Trump 's call with Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull on Saturday did not go well despite Australia being a close U.S. ally, according to a report from the Washington Post.
U.S. officials told the Post that Trump informed Turnbull, a former Goldman Sachs investment banker, that he had conversed with other political leaders earlier in the day and that "this was the worst call by far." President Trump then terminated the call after a mere 25 minutes even though it had been scheduled for an hour, the Post stated.
The full Washington Post article can be read here.
Among the issues discussed was the Australian-U.S. refugee deal brokered by the Obama administration that involved the resettling of refugees on Manus Island and Nauru, the Post stated. The Trump administration later confirmed that it would receive 1,250 refugees from Australia but would apply "extreme vetting" to those seeking asylum.
Trump reportedly told Turnbull that the resettlement agreement "was the worst deal ever" when the latter attempted to secure confirmation that the U.S. would follow through with its promise. Trump later repeated his displeasure with the deal in a tweet.
Despite the less-than-amicable account of the call, the official White House statement stated that the two leaders "emphasized the enduring strength and closeness of the U.S.-Australia relationship."
This is not the first time that President Trump has treated foreign leaders with the behavior he often uses against his critics, the media and on Twitter, the Washington Post said. Trump also adopted a similar tone in his calls with Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto, the Post added.
Turnbull declined to comment on whether Trump hung up on him, according to a transcript provided by his office. However, he stressed that the relationship between the two countries was robust.
"Australians know me very well. I always stand up for Australia in every forum," Turnbull said.
