Cold lecture or warm talks?: How will Anthony Albanese’s first meeting with Donald Trump go down?

Three months into Donald Trump’s second act, it’s clear that a visit to the White House comes with more than just photo ops and a handshake.

ANALYSIS 

Trump’s return to Oval Office theatre is in full swing.

Three months into his second act, it’s clear that a visit to the White House comes with more than just photo ops and a handshake.

Volodymyr Zelensky got a cold lecture on NATO contributions in an altercation that dominated headlines, and this week, President Cyril Ramaphosa sat through a cable-news-style ambush on “white genocide” claims in South Africa.

So where does that leave our very own Anthony Albanese?

While no official meeting is currently scheduled, both Prime Minister Albanese and President Trump have expressed a mutual interest in meeting.

Mr Albanese confirmed earlier this year that he’s invited Mr Trump to visit Australia and recently claimed private talks with the 78-year-old were “warm”.

But a lot runs between the pair — who display virtually opposite personalities in the public light.

Mr Trump recently slapped 25 per cent tariffs on Australian steel and aluminium, prompting Mr Albanese to label the move “entirely unjustified” and “not a friendly act”.

Trump has demonstrated that he has a long memory and a tendency to hold grudges, and he has a bit of ammunition against the PM in this regard.

Volodymyr Zelensky got a cold lecture on NATO contributions in an altercation that dominated headlines for weeks. (Photo by SAUL LOEB / AFP)

South Africa’s Cyril Ramaphosa sat through cable-news-style ambush on ‘white genocide’ claims in South Africa. (Photo by Jim WATSON / AFP)

Back in 2017, long before his prime ministership, Mr Albanese famously declared that “Trump scares the s**t out of me.”

Speaking at a public event, he described Mr Trump as “the most powerful man in the world, and that is a worry for the world.”

Those quotes resurfaced during last year’s election cycle, though they’ve been mostly buried beneath today’s diplomatic choreography.

But if Mr Trump’s Oval Office showmanship continues, the stage could soon be set for a very public test of Albanese’s political restraint, should he ever meet with the President on his home turf.

Mr Trump’s style is inherently confrontational and provocative, two powder-keg qualities that drew millions to his side in both successful election campaigns.

But for all the talk of shared alliances and economic partnerships, the ideological gulf between the real estate billionaire and the boy from Marrickville is vast.

Take climate change, for example. Mr Trump famously rolled back environmental regulations and withdrew the US from the Paris Agreement in his first term, all while promoting fossil fuels and ridiculing climate science.

Mr Albanese, on the other hand, strongly supports climate action and has passed legislation to cut emissions by 43 per cent by 2030. He is also promoting renewable energy expansion through the “Rewiring the Nation” plan.

Any conversation that teeters on the environment will take some serious lip-pursing from Mr Albanese.

The same goes with transgender issues, something Labor has strived to get on board with while Mr Trump outlaws males from competing in female sports. While that issue will unlikely come up in a public conversation, it is interesting to take note of just how many ideological differences the pair have and how it might shape their perception of the other.

Back in 2017, long before his prime ministership, Albanese famously declared that ‘rump scares the shit out of me.’ Picture: NewsWire / Martin Ollman

Mr Trump’s allies have long criticised Australia’s Covid-era public health policies, painting the country as a dystopian case study in “government overreach.”

Former Fox News commentator and Trump-backer Tucker Carlson once likened Australia to “China-lite,” a line that resonated loudly in MAGA circles who made similar criticisms of the Biden administration.

If Mr Albanese does visit Washington during Mr Trump’s term, the meeting will likely stick to pleasantries and naval base agreements.

But if a disagreement arises, the US Commander-in-Chief will very likely resort to belittlement.

Mr Trump has demonstrated that no leader — whether Ukraine’s wartime president or South Africa’s reformist — is immune to a carefully staged dressing-down. Just like his world-shaking tariffs earlier this year, he does it because he knows he can.

Mr Albanese is no stranger to tough exchanges and has pragmatically swiped away prompts to comment on Mr Trump’s leadership style during his time in the high chair. But the performative power politics of a Trump Oval Office is another matter entirely.

Trump: ‘We have a very good relationship’

Shortly after his landslide election victory, Mr Albanese confirmed he will attend the G7 leaders’ meeting in Alberta this June, following an invitation from Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney.

That visit may provide an opportunity for his first face-to-face meeting with the Don.

Earlier this month, Mr Albanese told reporters that he had spoken with Mr Trump after his re-election win over the Coalition, describing the conversation as “very warm” and claiming that AUKUS and the US-imposed tariffs were raised during the exchange.

“We talked about AUKUS and tariffs and will continue to engage, we’ll engage with each other on a face-to-face basis at some time in the future,” he said.

“But it was very warm … I thank him for reaching out in such a positive way as well.”

‘I can only say that he’s been very, very nice to me, very respectful to me,’ Trump said of Albanese. (Photo by SAUL LOEB / AFP)

The prime minister declined to provide further details about the call or confirm whether any firm commitments were made on trade.

President Trump, meanwhile, appeared relaxed when asked whether his actions had influenced the Australian election result.

“I didn’t know anything about the election,” he said, adding that he only knew Mr Albanese, whom he described as “very good” and “a friend.”

“I can only say that he’s been very, very nice to me, very respectful to me,” Mr Trump added.

“I have no idea who the other person is that ran against him. And, you know, we’ve had a very good relationship.”

Mr Albanese also suggested the call included personal praise from the president.

“It was very generous in his personal warmth and praise towards myself,” the prime minister said. “He was fully aware of the outcome and he expressed the desire to continue to work with me in the future.”

Originally published as Cold lecture or warm talks?: How will Anthony Albanese’s first meeting with Donald Trump go down?