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| Australian politicians unworried by Trump’s ‘what does that mean?’ response to Aukus question | Australian politicians unworried by Trump’s ‘what does that mean?’ response to Aukus question |
| (about 3 hours later) | |
| US president was questioned about defence deal during meeting with UK prime minister Keir Starmer | US president was questioned about defence deal during meeting with UK prime minister Keir Starmer |
| Australian politicians have played down a slip from Donald Trump, who initially failed to understand a question about Aukus posed by a British reporter. | Australian politicians have played down a slip from Donald Trump, who initially failed to understand a question about Aukus posed by a British reporter. |
| The US president was questioned about the Australia-UK-US defence deal during a meeting with the British prime minister, Keir Starmer, in the Oval Office. | The US president was questioned about the Australia-UK-US defence deal during a meeting with the British prime minister, Keir Starmer, in the Oval Office. |
| The reporter asked Trump if he would be discussing Aukus with Starmer. | The reporter asked Trump if he would be discussing Aukus with Starmer. |
| Trump responded: “What does that mean?” | Trump responded: “What does that mean?” |
| The reporter prompted the president that he was referring to “Aukus – the Australia-US defence alliance”. | The reporter prompted the president that he was referring to “Aukus – the Australia-US defence alliance”. |
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| Trump replied “we will be discussing that” and, pointing to Starmer beside him, said: “We’ve had another great relationship, and you have too, with Australia. We’ve had a very good relationship with Australia.” | Trump replied “we will be discussing that” and, pointing to Starmer beside him, said: “We’ve had another great relationship, and you have too, with Australia. We’ve had a very good relationship with Australia.” |
| Asked a few hours later about the exchange, Australian prime minister Anthony Albanese excused Trump’s misstep, telling reporters “there are a lot of acronyms in this business”. | |
| “We all get thrown them from time to time. | |
| “Donald Trump went on [and spoke] about the really important and positive relationship with Australia. That is consistent with the discussions that I’ve had with president Trump that included, of course, talking about Aukus.” | |
| The federal Labor minister Murray Watt was asked about this exchange on Nine’s Today morning TV show on Friday morning but said he wasn’t “too fazed”. | The federal Labor minister Murray Watt was asked about this exchange on Nine’s Today morning TV show on Friday morning but said he wasn’t “too fazed”. |
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| “Obviously, President Trump has got a lot on his plate and lots to remember,” he said. “And you’ll see that very quickly he was able to make the point about the strength of the relationship between Australia and the US. | “Obviously, President Trump has got a lot on his plate and lots to remember,” he said. “And you’ll see that very quickly he was able to make the point about the strength of the relationship between Australia and the US. |
| “We’ve already seen both the secretary of state and secretary for defense in the US talk about President Trump’s support for the Aukus arrangements, so that’s what really matters, rather than whether someone remembers an acronym in the middle of a meeting.” | “We’ve already seen both the secretary of state and secretary for defense in the US talk about President Trump’s support for the Aukus arrangements, so that’s what really matters, rather than whether someone remembers an acronym in the middle of a meeting.” |
| Also on Today, the opposition leader, Peter Dutton, said he was not concerned. | Also on Today, the opposition leader, Peter Dutton, said he was not concerned. |
| “Not everyone gets the acronyms, and all the rest of it, but there’s no doubt in my mind that the president strongly supports the alliance between our three countries and strongly supports Aukus,” Dutton said. | “Not everyone gets the acronyms, and all the rest of it, but there’s no doubt in my mind that the president strongly supports the alliance between our three countries and strongly supports Aukus,” Dutton said. |
| “He stated that previously that the submarine deal, which we negotiated when we were in government, when I was defence minister, will underpin the national security of our country for the next century. And it’s an important relationship.” | “He stated that previously that the submarine deal, which we negotiated when we were in government, when I was defence minister, will underpin the national security of our country for the next century. And it’s an important relationship.” |