Anthony Albanese denies Donald Trump ‘snubbing’ him amid meet worries

Anthony Albanese is insisting he has a “respectful” relationship with Donald Trump as months drag on without a meeting in sight.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese denies US President Donald Trump is ‘snubbing’ him. Picture: Martin Ollman / NewsWire / Nicolas Tucat / AFP

Anthony Albanese has denied Donald Trump is “snubbing” him amid growing concerns in both Australia and the US that the two leaders have not yet had a face-to-face.

The Prime Minister did a morning media blitz on Tuesday to champion a host of cost-of-living measures kicking in.

But with Australian products still slugged with US tariffs and concerns AUKUS could be on the rocks, his relationship with the US President dominated.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has denied US President Donald Trump is ‘snubbing’ him. Picture: Martin Ollman / NewsWire / Nicolas Tucat / AFP

Appearing on Nine’s Today, host Karl Stefanovic put it to Mr Albanese that Mr Trump “couldn’t give a rat’s about meeting with you”.

“I think it’s so disrespectful,” Stefanovic said.

“And why don’t you just tell him to bugger off?”

But Mr Albanese took a different view, insisting he has a “respectful” relationship with Mr Trump.

“No, not at all, and we’ve had really constructive discussions,” he said.

“I’ve been respectful of the President and I must say that he’s been respectful of me as well when he rang to congratulate me on the election.”

Mr Albanese added that he’d had “constructive discussions with members of the US administration, as have my ministers”.

“But the President has a view about tariffs – it’s different from Australia’s view and it must be said that it’s different from past presidents’ views as well,” Mr Albanese said.

“And what most economists realise, (is) that free and fair trade is a good thing for the world and America has benefited from that.”

Mr Albanese said he had “a right to represent Australia’s national interests”, and Mr Trump “has a right to adopt his America First policy, as he calls it”.

Pressure has ramped up on Mr Albanese to secure a meet after his scheduled bilateral meeting with Mr Trump on the sidelines of the G7 summit fell through last month.

On Monday, two of the staunchest supporters of the US-Australia alliance in Washington urged Mr Albanese to visit the White House.

Republican representative Michael McCaul and Democrat colleague Joe Courtney are co-chairs of a congressional working group on AUKUS.

Mr McCaul said Mr Albanese going to “the White House would be a great gesture on the Prime Minister’s part, that I think would go over very well”.

“That would be very sound advice for him to do that,” he told the Australian Financial Review.

Without a Washington trip, Mr Albanese’s next most-likely opportunity to meet Mr Trump is at the Quad leaders summit tipped for September.

Originally published as Anthony Albanese denies Donald Trump ‘snubbing’ him amid meet worries