‘Fake media’: PM brushes off latest Trump gibe at Rudd
Grace Crivellaro |
Anthony Albanese is shrugging off the single, lingering glitch in his otherwise successful meeting with Donald Trump as he prepares for further talks with global leaders.
The prime minister is flying to Malaysia to join leaders at two key summits, marking the start of a week-long trip focusing on security, trade and stability in the region.
He will come face-to-face with US President Donald Trump, a week on from their meeting, which was generally warm but for an interaction that sparked global headlines.
At the White House last Monday, Mr Trump told Australian ambassador Kevin Rudd “I don’t like you, and I probably never will” after being asked about old social media posts.
Mr Rudd called Mr Trump a “village idiot” and the “most destructive president in history” in since-deleted posts, before the former prime minister took on the ambassadorial role.
The sledge was laughed off in the room and Mr Rudd reportedly apologised to Mr Trump.
But Mr Trump gave a fresh warning and reignited focus on the issue before departing for Malaysia on Sunday, telling an Australian reporter he never forgets who badmouths him.
“You know when they say bad about me, I don’t forget,” Mr Trump said.
Mr Albanese brushed off questions about Mr Trump’s remarks, suggesting the media used the incident as a distraction from “issues of substance”.
“There was a lot of what some might call a fake media before I went to the United States, about what was important and what wasn’t,” Mr Albanese said on the Today Show on Sunday.
“Kevin Rudd’s doing a great job as Ambassador. The delivery last week reinforces that.”
Asked again whether it was time to replace Mr Rudd, the prime minister responded bluntly: “No.”
Mr Albanese will sit down with a number of his counterparts over the coming days at the ASEAN and APEC summits, in South Korea and Malaysia respectively.
He said Australia’s focus for the meetings would be boosting trade and investment options across the Asia-Pacific.
“One in four Australian jobs rely on trade and we will be focused on continuing to grow our key economic and trade relationships during ASEAN and APEC,” Mr Albanese said.
“Australia is working with regional leaders, including through ASEAN, the East Asia Summit and APEC to support economic growth, security, and stability in the region.”
Mr Trump plans to sign a trade deal with the Malaysian prime minister, preside over a peace agreement between Cambodia and Thailand and sit down with his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping.
He will also travel to Tokyo to meet Japan’s newly elected Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi.
AAP
