Nat Barr has suggested Anthony Albanese may need to apologize to Donald Trump after footage emerged of him saying Trump “scared the shit out of” him.
The Prime Minister made the comments when he was opposition transport and infrastructure spokesman in 2017, but they resurfaced this week ahead of Trump’s overnight victory in the US election.
The Sunrise host spoke to Foreign Minister Penny Wong on Thursday morning and asked if the prime minister had personally called to congratulate the president-elect.
‘When I call him, will he say, ‘Look, I’m so sorry, Donald, about those (comments) years ago (when) I said you scared me?’ Barr said.
Senator Wong responded that the prime minister would focus on Australia’s strategic partnership with the United States rather than his personal comments.
“I think they will probably focus on the issues critical to Australia’s interests, obviously AUKUS, and we’re pleased to see bipartisan support for that.”
Barr noted that Trump’s former National Security Advisor John Bolton previously said the AUKUS pact could break down under a second Trump presidency.
‘Now that Trump is back, do you think the deal will survive?’
Nat Barr interviewed Foreign Minister Penny Wong on Thursday following Donald Trump’s victory in the US election overnight.
Anthony Albanese said in 2017 that Donald Trump ‘scared the hell out of him’
“We are confident in bipartisan support for AUKUS,” Wong responded.
‘It has been a priority for the Government and our ambassador ahead of the election and we were pleased to see legislation passed in Congress to support AUKUS.
“This project spans many governments and decades, so it needs strong political support in all three countries.”
Barr then noted that Australia’s ambassador to the United States, Kevin Rudd, had himself made comments criticizing Trump.
‘Kevin Rudd once called Donald Trump “crazy” and a “traitor to the West”, do you think, given those comments and our Prime Minister’s previous comments, Trump will see us as a bunch of wild Australians? -Barr asked.
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Wong responded that he found President Trump “a pretty robust individual” and that he would not be offended by the comments.
‘I would say the alliance is bigger than any individual or past comment. “Kevin Rudd has been an excellent ambassador, he has brought a lot to Australia and I have every confidence in him,” Wong said.
When asked how he would “deal with Trump” in 2017 in a Splendor in the Grass Q&A, Albanese responded: “With trepidation.”
But pressed further, he expanded his response.
“Well, you have to deal with who gets elected,” he said, six months into the first Trump administration.
‘We have an alliance with the United States, we have to deal with it, but that doesn’t mean you’re not critical about it.
“He (Trump) scares the hell out of me and I think it’s worrying that the leader of the free world thinks you can do politics through 140 characters on Twitter overnight.”
Asked if he would say that to Trump’s face, the prime minister said he would “probably be more polite than that.”
