TURNBULL VS TRUMP – BAD TIMING

At this very moment, Australia’s tariff exemption for steel and aluminium exports to USA hangs in the balance and this is precisely the moment Malcolm Turnbull has decided to publicly attack Donald Trump. He declared that Trump’s poor treatment of his allies (Trump’s planned tariffs and his demands that Denmark hand over Greenland) only play into China’s hands.  And that with time countries will prefer China over USA as their ally.

Trump fired back, posting on Truth Social on Sunday evening (Monday AEDT):

“Malcolm Turnbull, the former prime minister of Australia who was always leading that wonderful country from ‘behind’, never understood what was going on in China, nor did he have the capacity to do so,” Trump wrote. “I always thought he was a weak and ineffective leader and, obviously, Australian’s [sic] agreed with me.”

In an interview with Sarah Ferguson on ABC’s 7.30 Report on Monday night, 10 March 2025, Turnbull attacked Trump by calling him a rude, abusive, erratic, disrespectful, inconsistent bully and a global threat to security.

He further stated, “The reality is, if you suck up to bullies, whether it’s global affairs, or in the playground, you just get more bullying,” Turnbull said. “And unfortunately, we are now seeing somebody that is utterly unconstrained, and if the advice is to go and suck up to him, where does that get you? Trump seems to have a view that America can prosper at the expense of everyone else, but that’s not going to work.”

Of course, Sarah questioned whether it was wise for Turnbull to publicly attack Trump on the eve of Trump’s decision whether to exempt Australia from steel and aluminium tariffs – a huge deal for Australia and for many Australian families.  Turnbull then accused Sarah of opposing free speech in Australia to appease Trump.  I’m sorry, but how could he accuse Sarah of this?  I know both personally.  Sarah is a well-respected, multi-award-winning journalist, presenter and documentary maker, whom I have met and think highly of, due to her integrity and her never-ending quest for truth.  Sarah rightly questioned Malcolm’s timing for his outburst on the eve of Trump’s decision on whether we will be exempt from his tariffs or not – affecting thousands of Australian families.  What does Australia think?   

The next morning, Channel 9, Today show host, Sarah Abo, expressed her opinion that former Prime Ministers should stop interfering in Australia’s discussions with Trump. She said that Turnbull should “just shut up”. “Here we were worried about Trump. When it turns out Malcolm Turnbull might be the one. The death knell here,” she said.

Sources:

‘Conga line of sycophants’: Turnbull decries Australia’s timid approach to ‘bully’ Trump by Michael Koziol, Matthew Knott and Kayla Olaya March 10, 2025 8.48pm

‘Shut up’: Host blows up at Turnbull, Malcolm Turnbull has hit back over his blow up with US President Donald Trump, while a Today show host has given her 10 cents by Samantha Maiden, 11 March 2025, 9.42am

You Tube, ABC News in Depth 10 March 2025 Malcolm Turnbull reacts to Trump’s personal attack

Then-prime minister Malcolm Turnbull and US President Donald Trump meet in Washington in 2018.Credit: Alex Ellinghausen