One subject Albo should avoid with Trump

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But he’s be warned to avoid making a huge unforced error. Benedict BrookUS Correspondent @BenedictBrook October 20, 2025 - 6:09AM Share via Email Share on Facebook Share on Whatsapp Listen to this article Copied URL to clipboard Trump snubs Australia at UN General Assembly Trump snubs Australia at UN General Assembly #trump #auspol #unitednations #UN Donald Trump has snubbed Anthony Albanese at... Anthony Albanese is set to – finally – get his face-to-face meeting with Donald Trump on Monday, a mere 10 months after his inauguration. He won’t be alone. Ambassador to the US and former PM Kevin Rudd, Treasurer Jim Chalmers and Minister for the Defence Industry Pat Conroy will be in tow. Some commentators have suggested the lack of an Oval Office invite had been a sign America no longer cares about Australia; that the previously rock solid relationship has deteriorated. But a watcher of US-Australia affairs has said the lack of a meeting until now might even prove the exact opposite: that Canberra and Washington are in a great place. However, Jared Mondschein, the research director at the United States Studies Centre, located at the University of Sydney, told news.com.au there’s a mistake the Prime Minister should avoid making when he goes into the lion’s den with the famously mercurial Mr Trump. And a subject that was huge a few months ago – but might not be worth even raising now. Copied URL to clipboard Trump claims no other president "has ended any wars" Donald Trump has said India has agreed to stop... Mr Albanese had planned to speak to Mr Trump at June’s G7 summit in Canada. But the US President – who is said to be no fan of long winded international meetings – headed back to DC early. Mr Trump’s Irish Exit left Australia without the promised pow wow. Last month, Mr Albanese did get a selfie with Mr Trump at the United Nations in New York, but a sit down still eluded him. It’s a selfie but not a sit-down chat. Picture: PMO Contrast that with Finland’s President Alexander Stubb. A man who leads a country with a population the same size as Sydney has met Mr Trump three times this year in the US alone. Mr Albanese will finally get his first meeting on Monday (early Tuesday, Australia time) with the full White House treatment: flags, fireside chat and a formal meeting over lunch. The United States Studies Centre’s Mr Mondschein told news.com.au Mr Albanese shouldn’t compare his access to that of the Finnish leader. For one, Finland borders Russia so it makes sense for him to stay close to Mr Trump; Mr Stubb also happens to be a former championship golfer so has the ability to indulge in some fairway diplomacy. “It’s still less than a year into the Trump administration – which is unconventional even compared to the first Trump administration – and there are two major wars, so there have been some more pressing issues (for Mr Trump),” he said. Indeed, Mr Mondschein said, the lack of a meeting so far likely showed relations were generally stable. “There’s not that much wrong between the US and Australia, there’s not all that much that needs to be fixed,” he said. Finland’s Alexander Stubb has met Donald Trump three times in the US this year, once for a round of golf. Picture: Truth Social “Australia has decades of a security treaty with the US, a free-trade agreement, intelligence co-operation as well as over a century of fighting with the US in every major war. “From a bilateral perspective, everything is going great.” But, said Mr Mondschein, it was still critical that the two leaders spoke due to the worsening security situation in the Indo-Pacific due to China’s actions. “It’s just gotten worse and worse, and that’s why Australia has never been more important, more consequential or more influential in DC in the history of the US Australia alliance,” he said. Polling from the United States Studies Centre has found a mere 16 per cent of Australians surveyed thought the Trump administration was a positive for Australia. Yet, 69 per cent see the US as an ally and 47 per cent say it needs the American alliance “now more than ever”. Australian Ambassador to the United States Kevin Rudd will likely join Anthony Albanese in the Oval Office. Picture: Lukas Koch/AAP The big issue PM needs to discuss Mr Albanese would dearly love for Mr Trump to emphatically recommit to the AUKUS alliance on Monday. The White House has had the military pact under review for months with the worst possibility being it scraps the $368 billion project depriving Australia of nuclear powered subs to deter China’s threats. That review may not be finished by Monday but there have been rumblings the Trump administration sees AUKUS positively. Nonetheless, Mr Mondschein told news.com.au Mr Albanese will have to drill home to Mr Trump the pact’s benefits to the US. “AUKUS sees Australia pay for second-hand US submarines, pay for the expansion of the US defence industrial base, take up more of the burden of security in its own region and give US naval vessels more capacity to stay in the Indo-Pacific region,” he said. “AUKUS is a pretty good deal for the United States.” A benefit of waiting months for a meeting is Mr Albanese can learn the lessons of those who have gone before – from the train wreck of the first visit of Volodymyr Zelensky to Mr Trump’s pally chats with Finland’s Mr Stubb and Britain’s Keir Starmer. Lashings of flattery from the PM, which could be awkward for the Australian ear to hear, will almost certainly be on offer. Render of the SSN-AUKUS Nuclear-Powered Submarine. Credit: BAE Systems Mistakes not to make But Mr Mondschein warned Mr Albanese not to fall into the trap of being either too meek or too emotional, like Mr Zelensky in February. Mr Trump won’t mind a bit of push back, he said, as he’s had from Canada’s Mark Carney when any talk of the “51st state” has come up. “You have to stay calm, cool and collected, which shouldn’t be difficult for democratically elected politicians who, by definition, have to deal with opponents,” he said. Yet Australia shouldn’t go cap-in-hand either, begging for the scraps off America’s table. Canberra has cards to play, he said: it can offer what the US needs. Be that military support in a key region or access to critical minerals, which Australia has in abundance and America needs. Subject to steer clear off Tariffs – which caused a geopolitical earthquake earlier this year – may come up over lunch. But, said Mr Mondschein, it’s best for the PM to not get too bogged down, considering Australia currently has just about the lowest levies globally. “Australia has a lot of political capital with the US. By no means should we ignore the fact that (tariffs) is not something you generally do on free trade partners and close allies,” he said. “But I don’t think that focusing on bilateral tariffs is really the most important of agenda items for this administration.” Australia’s recognition of Palestine was potentially a pain point. But given the Gaza ceasefire that risk may have faded. Even if a White House meeting with Donald Trump goes badly, things can still be patched up – just ask Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky. Picture: Saul Loeb and Mandel Ngan/AFP If it all goes wrong And if Mr Albanese’s Oval Office meeting goes off the rails, would that be a diplomatic disaster? More Coverage Stern letter to Albo before Trump meet Joseph Olbrycht-Palmer Albo’s Trump selfie instantly goes viral Joseph Olbrycht-Palmer, Benedict Brook and Jessica Wang Maybe not, said Mr Mondschein. After all, just look at Mr Zelensky’s rehabilitation. It showed the Trump administration could be brought around. “If this meeting were to go negatively, I don’t think there would be long or even medium term implications,” he said. “It’s one meeting, there’s opportunities to do a lot more. I don’t think that they’re going to completely sidetrack US-Australian relations.” Read related topics:Anthony AlbaneseDonald Trump More related stories Travel Updates ‘Fundamental shift’: US, Aus losing power The US used to be a mainstay in the top 10 of this global index, but places ‘resting on past privilege’ are now being left behind, experts say. Former PM warns against the ‘uber-rich’ Julia Gillard has used a university graduation speech to warn against corporations and the “uber-rich” scaling back progressive policies. Dramatic exit after childcare scandals Two top executives at one of Australia’s largest childcare providers have quit following recent industry scandals – including the arrest of a former employee. Registration In The Know Quiz Newsletters Competitions Welcome to news.com.au Code of Conduct Help and Support General Feedback Advertise with us Standards of Practice Licensing & Reprints Our News Network The Daily Telegraph The Courier Mail Our Partners realestate.com.au CODE Sports A NOTE ABOUT RELEVANT ADVERTISING: We collect information about the content (including ads) you use across this site and use it to make both advertising and content more relevant to you on our network and other sites. 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