‘This was the worst call by far’
It should have been one of the most congenial calls for the new commander in chief - a conversation with the leader of Australia, one of America’s staunchest allies, at the end of a triumphant week.
Instead, President Donald Trump blasted Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull over a refugee agreement and boasted about the magnitude of his electoral college win, according to senior U.S. officials briefed on the Saturday exchange. Then, 25 minutes into what was expected to be an hour-long call, Trump abruptly ended it.
At one point Trump informed Turnbull that he had spoken with four other world leaders that day including Russian President Vladimir Putin - and that, ‘‘This was the worst call by far.’’
Trump’s behaviour suggests that he is capable of subjecting world leaders, including close allies, to a version of the vitriol he frequently employs against political adversaries and news organisations in speeches and on Twitter.
‘‘This is the worst deal ever,’’ Trump fumed as Turnbull attempted to confirm that the United States would honour its pledge to take in 1250 refugees from an Australian detention centre. Trump, who one day earlier had signed an executive order temporarily barring the admissions of refugees, complained that he was ‘‘going to get killed’’ politically and accused Australia of seeking to export the ‘‘next Boston bombers’’.
US officials said that Trump has behaved similarly in conversations with leaders of other countries, including Mexico. But his treatment of Turnbull was particularly striking because of the tight bond between the United States and Australia - countries that share intelligence, support one another diplomatically and have fought together in wars including in Iraq and Afghanistan.
The characterisations provide insight into Trump’s temperament and approach to the diplomatic requirements of his job as the nation’s chief executive, a role in which he continues to employ both the uncompromising negotiating tactics he honed as a real estate developer and the bombastic style he exhibited as a reality television personality.
The depictions of Trump’s calls are also at odds with sanitized White House accounts. The official read-out of his conversation with Turnbull, for example, said that the two had ‘‘emphasized the enduring strength and closeness of the Us-australia relationship that is critical for peace, stability, and prosperity in the Asia-pacific region and globally.’’
A White House spokesman declined to comment. A senior administration official acknowledged that the conversation with Turnbull had been hostile and charged, but emphasised that most of Trump’s calls with foreign leaders have been both productive and pleasant.
Trump also vented anger and touted his political accomplishments in a tense conversation with Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto, officials said. The two have sparred for months over Trump’s vow to force Mexico to pay for construction of a border wall between the two countries.
Trump told Pena Nieto in last Friday’s call, according to the Associated Press, which said it reviewed a transcript of part of the conversation, ‘‘You have a bunch of bad hombres down there. You aren’t doing enough to stop them. I think your military is scared. Our military isn’t, so I just might send them down to take care of it.’’
- Washington Post