“I think it would be a very bad look for Rudd to be moved now,” Mr Turnbull told 7.30.<\/p>\n
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“I would think taking vengeance on Kevin Rudd would be very low on Donald Trump’s priorities. And I think his rather tongue-in-cheek remarks are evidence of that.”<\/p>\n
At Tuesday’s White House meeting \u2014 the first formal sit-down between the US and Australian leaders \u2014 Mr Trump told Mr Rudd, “I don’t like you, and I probably never will.”<\/p>\n
The comments triggered widespread laughter in the room, with Mr Trump offering Mr Rudd an opportunity to apologise<\/a> for previously having been highly critical of the president.\u00a0<\/p>\n It is understood that he subsequently apologised to the president, who accepted.<\/p>\n Malcolm Turnbull gives Anthony Albanese’s meeting with Donald Trump “10 out of 10”. (ABC News: Harriet Tatham)<\/p>\n However, the incident at the meeting prompted Opposition leader Sussan Ley to call for Mr Rudd’s sacking, saying his position was untenable.<\/p>\n Asked about her remarks, Mr Turnbull said he understood why she may have made them.<\/p>\n “It’s your miserable duty every day to get up and say something critical about the government, and sometimes the things you say are not particularly momentous,” he said.<\/p>\n Trump ‘not a warmonger’ Donald Trump was president during Malcolm Turnbull’s prime ministership. (AP: Pablo Martinez Monsivais)<\/p>\n Mr Turnbull also said it was notable that Mr Trump had suggested that even though the AUKUS deal could be used as a deterrent against China, it would likely not be needed for that.<\/p>\n Mr Trump downplayed prospects of any conflict over Taiwan, saying he got on “very well” with Chinese President Xi Jinping.\u00a0<\/p>\n The president’s remarks appear to have countered some of the more strident anti-China rhetoric of his administration, including from Secretary of War Pete Hegseth.<\/p>\n “The China hawks in both Canberra and Washington will be rather disappointed in what Trump said,” Mr Turnbull told 7.30.<\/p>\n Donald Trump says he gets on well with Xi Jinping. “Because what he’s basically said is that the whole rationale for this massive investment in AUKUS is not actually a realistic one.<\/p>\n “In other words, we don’t need to deter China because President Xi, filled with goodwill and bonhomie towards President Trump, is not going to contemplate any hostilities.”<\/p>\n Mr Trump’s remarks on China at Monday’s White House meeting with Mr Albanese have surprised some analysts, who regard them as his most expansive on the topic of Taiwan since he retook office in January.<\/p>\n International relations expert James Curran told 7.30 that Mr Trump had “made it very clear today that he’s not interested in a conflict with China”.<\/p>\n Donald Trump says he does not believe “we’re going to need” AUKUS as a deterrent against China. (Reuters: Kevin Lamarqu)<\/p>\n Rather, Mr Trump is focused on doing a trade deal with Beijing and that “this is the way that peace will be maintained”.<\/p>\n For Australians, Professor Curran said, “it means that the sort of ramping up … of the China-threat narrative that we’ve seen in this country for the best part of a decade now, [that] Trump is not on that page. He’s not seeking a conflict with China.”<\/p>\n Mr Turnbull said Mr Trump’s remarks were consistent with his first term.\u00a0<\/p>\n “He genuinely is not a warmonger, and I know that from my own discussions with him in the past. He wants peace,”<\/p><\/blockquote>\n Mr Turnbull said.’Words don’t build submarines’ Donald Trump (right) says the AUKUS deal is “full steam ahead”. (\u00a0Reuters: Kevin Lamarque)<\/p>\n He also questioned Mr Trump’s assurances that Australia will receive US-made submarines<\/a> under the AUKUS deal, which is scheduled to happen early next decade.<\/p>\n “He said America had lots of submarines,” Mr Turnbull said.\u00a0<\/p>\n “Sadly, it doesn’t. It’s about 20 short of what its own navy says it needs.”<\/p>\n Mr Turnbull said the meetings have “not changed any of the realities” around AUKUS.<\/p>\n “Unless there’s a dramatic change in production rates, it’s simply not going to be able to sell us any in the early 2030s,” he said.<\/p>\n “The Americans have been predicting an upswing in the production rates of submarines for many years now, and they’ve poured billions of dollars into the submarine industrial base.<\/p>\n “And of course, Australia is contributing $US3 billion itself, but sadly it has not resulted in any increase in production. It has been flat at around 1.1, 1.2 boats on average each year.\u00a0<\/p>\n “It’s got to more than double that to be able to have any prospect of being able to spare boats for Australia.<\/p>\n “Warm words are great, but they don’t build submarines.”<\/p><\/blockquote>\n Watch <\/strong>7.30<\/strong><\/a>, Mondays to Thursdays 7:30pm on <\/strong>ABC iview<\/strong><\/a> and ABC TV<\/strong><\/p>\n Contact 7.30<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
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\n\u00a0 (Reuters: Kevin Lamarque)<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
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