Trump’s Sudden U-Turn: Albanese Wins Big in Whirlwind White House Meeting
- Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese emerges victorious from his maiden meeting with Donald Trump, securing a deal on critical minerals and a nod of approval for the AUKUS agreement.
- In a stunning turn of events, Trump lavishes praise on Albanese, describing him as “very popular” and saying he’s done a “fantastic job” as Prime Minister.
- The two leaders agree to jointly fund critical minerals projects, with at least six projects in Australia to receive investment, in a bid to reduce China’s dominance in the sector.
It was a whirlwind meeting that lasted less than 40 minutes, but Anthony Albanese walked away with everything he came for. The Australian Prime Minister emerged from his maiden meeting with Donald Trump at the White House with a deal on critical minerals and a nod of approval for the AUKUS agreement.
In a stunning turn of events, Trump was effusive in his praise for Albanese, describing him as “very popular” and saying he’s done a “fantastic job” as Prime Minister. The President’s warm words were a far cry from the criticism Albanese faced before the meeting, with some accusing him of neglecting Australia’s most important alliance.
But Albanese played it smart, using the meeting to speak Trump’s language and flattering the President by thanking him “for showing us around the improved Oval Office” and congratulating him on brokering the Middle East peace deal. The Prime Minister explained that what Australia was doing to develop its critical minerals industry was “a bit similar to putting America first” – a phrase that drives the President’s agenda.
The two leaders agreed to jointly fund critical minerals projects, with at least six projects in Australia to receive investment. The deal is a major win for Albanese, who has been trying to lure US investment in critical minerals and rare earths for the past four years. The timing couldn’t be better, with Beijing’s threats to clamp down on exports just over a week ago providing the perfect opportunity for Albanese to strike a deal.
But it wasn’t all smooth sailing. Trump took a swipe at former Prime Minister Kevin Rudd, who was seated opposite him at the cabinet table, saying “I don’t like you” in response to a question about the ambassador’s now-deleted social media posts. The room erupted in laughter, and Rudd was later overheard apologising to Trump, with the President offering “all is forgiven”.
Despite the awkward moment, Albanese escaped unscathed, even joking that he would use Trump’s ringing endorsement of him in his campaign for re-election in 2028. The Prime Minister knows better than to take Trump’s praise to heart, but for now, he’s basking in the glow of a successful meeting.