Trump signals support for AUKUS pact in meeting with Morrison

Washington: Former US president Donald Trump has given his “warm” support to the AUKUS submarine deal during a private meeting with former prime minister Scott Morrison hours after attending court for his historic hush money trial.

But as Trump fights charges of falsifying business records to cover up an affair with a porn star, Morrison came to the Republican’s defence, describing the challenges he faces as a “pile-on”.

Donald Trump and Scott Morrison.

“Was pleased to meet with former president Donald Trump on Tuesday night at his private residence in NY,” Morrison posted on X, with a photo of himself standing next to the presumptive Republican presidential nominee at Trump Tower in New York.

“It was nice to catch up again, especially given the pile on he is currently dealing with in the US. Was also a good opportunity to discuss AUKUS, which received a warm reception.”

Asked if he believed Trump - who faces four trials in total - was being unfairly targeted, he told this masthead: “I have sympathy for that.”

“When politics start creeping into the justice system… or when institutions that are an important part of democracy are being co-opted and weaponised in politics, that’s not a good day for democracy,” Morrison said.

Former US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, former PM Scott Morrison, and ex-counsellor to president Trump, Kellyanne Conway.Credit: Farrah Tomazin

Morrison is in the US to promote his new book Plans for Your Good: A Prime Minister’s Testimony of God’s Faithfulness, which he launched at the Australian embassy in Washington on Wednesday evening (Thursday AEST) alongside Australia’s ambassador Kevin Rudd, former Trump senior adviser Kellyanne Conway, former US secretary of state Mike Pompeo and former vice president Mike Pence.

The foreword to the book was written by Pence, who met Morrison in 2018 before the pair became “prayer partners”.

“I know Christians around the world will be inspired by his story and his example of trusting God no matter their circumstances,” said Pence who has refused to endorse Trump’s new bid for the presidency due to the Capitol riot of January 6, 2021.

After 16 years in politics, Morrison left parliament earlier this year to join a defence company with Pompeo. He plans to use his American visit for various business meetings and to promote his book through interviews, Christian podcasts, a church visit in Dallas and a pitstop in Oklahoma.

Speaking to this masthead before his embassy event, Morrison reflected on the way his evangelical Christian faith wasn’t always embraced by voters in Australia, and noted the cultural differences with the US, where religion is a core part of the nation’s social fabric.

He recalled, for example, the “puzzling” backlash he received when he allowed cameras into his Pentecostal church while celebrating Easter in 2019.

“I think we live in a society where there’s a lack of real awareness around religious issues,” he said.

“I’m not suggesting people should have my faith or any other, but there was a time when there was at least a knowledge and awareness... That’s what I try to demystify in all of this.”

Anthony Albanese, Joe Biden and Rishi Sunak at an AUKUS announcement in San Diego in March last year.Credit: Alex Ellinghausen

News of Trump’s apparent support for AUKUS is likely to assuage concerns about what might happen to the contentious submarine deal if he returns to office.

Trump is polling ahead of Joe Biden in most battleground states ahead of the November election, but the pair on Wednesday agreed to two debates, which could change the contours of the campaign.
The first debate will be on June 27 hosted by CNN and the second on September 10 hosted by the American ABC.

Trump is known for being sceptical of global security alliances, particularly if he thinks other nations are not paying their fair share, and has repeatedly said he does not want America embroiled in “endless wars”.

“Trump is often accused of being isolationist, but he just doesn’t like the US being taken for a ride and we cannot be accused of that,” said Morrison – a reference to the billions of dollars Australia will spend to help prop up the US industrial navy base as part of the AUKUS deal.

The future of the US-Australia alliance was briefly thrown into doubt in March after the incendiary Republican launched a brutal attack on Rudd, who previously described the former president as “nuts”, a “traitor to the West” and “the most destructive president in history”.

“He won’t be there long if that’s the case,” Trump said, when presented with those comments in an interview with former Brexit party leader Nigel Farage on Britain’s right-leaning GB News.

“I don’t know much about him. I heard he was a little bit nasty. I hear he’s not the brightest bulb,” he added.

Morrison said he did not discuss Rudd during his meeting with Trump, but noted: “All I know is that when I worked with him, he was a passionate believer in the alliance, and he was fully cognisant of the threats that are posed in the Indo-Pacific. I can’t see the obstacles to the support [in future].“

Morrison met Trump shortly after the hush money trial adjourned for the day, following hours of testimony by his former attorney Michael Cohen about a $US130,000 payment he made to bury news of an affair with porn star Stormy Daniels ahead of the 2016 election.

According to Cohen, the payment was made at Trump’s direction and part of a broader scheme to suppress damaging stories that could have derailed his chances of becoming president.

But while some have praised the meeting as a positive sign for the Australia-US alliance, others on social media were far more critical.

“Not the company I would keep,” wrote one user.

“Read the room,” said another.

Get a note directly from our foreign correspondents on what’s making headlines around the world. Sign up for the weekly What in the World newsletter here.