Does Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull think Donald Trump is a drongo? Maybe after this week’s interaction …
What should have been a civilized conversation between two world leaders got heated when President Trump blasted the Australian leader over an agreement forged under President Obama for the U.S. to accept up to 1,250 refugees detained in Australia, the Washington Post reported Wednesday. In addition, senior U.S. officials told the paper that the president bragged about the size of his electoral college victory.
The call should have lasted up to an hour, however President Trump cut it short after just 25 minutes, according to the Post.
Australia has long been an ally to the United States, however Trump told Turnbull that their exchange was the fifth call he’d had that day (including one with Russian leader Putin) and “this was the worst by far,” per the paper
Hours after the Post story broke, Trump took to Twitter to tweet another provocative comment about the longtime ally: “Do you believe it? The Obama Administration agreed to take thousands of illegal immigrants from Australia. Why? I will study this dumb deal!”
https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/827002559122567168
And as the Aussies would say, the Twitterverse went off like a frog in a sock.
“Classic Risk’ strategy: invade Australia first,” wrote former “Jeopardy!” champion Ken Jennings.
“Who’d have thought it was possible to blow the US-Australia relationship? It’s childproof. But not Trumpproof,” marveled New York Times columnist Nicholas Kristof.
See some of the most outraged and amusing tweets below.
That call to Australia really did not go well pic.twitter.com/yHLdymOke4
— Dave Itzkoff (@ditzkoff) February 2, 2017
I think Australia got the news pic.twitter.com/NSBmXi7JHs
— Dave Itzkoff (@ditzkoff) February 2, 2017
Trump insulted or undermined our allies in Australia, Germany, Britain & Mexico. So far.
But that Mr. Putin fellow? He looks mah-velous.
— Kurt Eichenwald (@kurteichenwald) February 2, 2017
Classic "Risk" strategy: invade Australia first.
— Ken Jennings (@KenJennings) February 2, 2017
Who'd have thought it was possible to blow the US-Australia relationship? It's childproof. But not Trumpproof. https://t.co/r2rOtESKRV
— Nicholas Kristof (@NickKristof) February 2, 2017
He's such a good dealmaker he got into a fight with Australia
— John Podhoretz (@jpodhoretz) February 2, 2017
I had Australia in my office pool.
— Michelle Beadle (@MichelleDBeadle) February 2, 2017
Australia right now. pic.twitter.com/Phwvnejoub
— Stephanie Carvin (@StephanieCarvin) February 2, 2017
Donald Trump only started a fight with Australia because he heard from a trusted friend that's where Hitler grew up.
— John Fugelsang (@JohnFugelsang) February 2, 2017
Girl, am I Australia, because after a long day, you just yell at me.
— Jake Vig (@Jake_Vig) February 2, 2017
https://twitter.com/teenagesleuth/status/827018886809726976
https://twitter.com/SheWhoVotes/status/827015895050448897
Australia?! You can't even be nice to Australia?! @POTUS #Australia pic.twitter.com/hPNwxwtyBH
— LaurenNYknicks ??? (@AaliyahNevaeh7) February 2, 2017
We're picking fights with AUSTRALIA!!!????? What the holy hell https://t.co/EAyPPUt1W7
— Andy Cohen (@Andy) February 2, 2017
I made a Top 100 Possible Trump Administration Foreign Crises list & I gotta admit "Rupturing US-Australia Relations" was NOT on there.
— Chris Murphy (@ChrisMurphyCT) February 2, 2017
It's not just that Trump might start World War III, he might start it with Australia.
(Actually, this is the backstory to Mad Max)
— Josh Marshall (@joshtpm) February 2, 2017