Former Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has called on his country’s political leaders to demonstrate courage in standing up to U.S. President Donald Trump, even mimicking the American leader’s distinctive speaking style during a recent public address.
Speaking ahead of Australia’s upcoming May 3 general election, Turnbull briefly adopted a nasal American accent as he impersonated Trump, drawing laughter from the audience while delivering a serious message about political fortitude.
“That’s the challenge for our leaders they’ve got to be able to stand up,” Turnbull stated before switching to his Trump impersonation. “If that means they get a brickbat or a Truth Social post saying ‘You’re weak and ineffectual. You don’t know anything about China’,” he continued, accurately capturing Trump’s characteristic speaking pattern.
Turnbull concluded his remarks by asserting, “If you’re spooked by that you shouldn’t be in the job,” suggesting that Australian politicians should not be intimidated by potential criticism from the U.S. president.
The former conservative leader, who served as Australia’s prime minister when Trump first took office in 2017, has previously criticized Trump, describing his return to the White House as “chaotic” and “erratic” earlier this year.
Trump responded to these comments on his Truth Social platform, calling Turnbull “a weak and ineffective leader” who “never understood what was going on in China.”
The relationship between the two leaders has been strained from the beginning. Although Turnbull was among many world leaders who congratulated Trump after his unexpected 2016 election victory, Trump reportedly later described their phone conversation as “the worst by far” among his calls with international leaders.
Adding to the awkwardness, then-White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer twice mispronounced Turnbull’s name during a press conference, mistakenly referring to him as “Mr. Trumble.”
Turnbull’s comments come at a time of heightened international tension regarding Trump’s trade policies, with the U.S. president expected to announce sweeping tariffs against global trading partners tomorrow.
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