Penny Wong ‘confident’ Labor can work with Trump

Penny Wong has dodged a question about harsh remarks she made about Donald Trump ahead of his inauguration next week.

Foreign Minister Penny Wong has downplayed unearthed remarks she made about Donald Trump ahead of his swearing in as US president next week.

Senator Wong said the US president-elect “was prepared to trash alliances and partnerships for personal political interest” in a 2021 interview with ABC Radio Adelaide.

She was opposition foreign affairs spokeswoman at the time.

Earlier this week she said she was “honoured to be invited” to Mr Trump’s inauguration in Washington.

Asked on Wednesday if her view of the incoming US president has changed, Senator Wong dodged the query, saying her attendance was about the Australia-US relationship.

Foreign Minister Penny Wong has downplayed recently unearthed remarks she made about Donald Trump ahead of his swearing in as US president next week. Picture: NewsWire / Martin Ollman

“Donald Trump has been elected President of the United States, and I’m honoured, on behalf of the country, to have been invited to his inauguration,” she told the ABC.

“I mean, I think people know that I will always stand up for alliances and partnerships.

“That is who we are as Australians. We believe in partnership, Alliance and democracy, and it’s been a great honour to be invited to the inauguration.”

Mr Trump’s historic White House win sent shockwaves around the globe, with world leaders unsure of where their countries fit into his America-first agenda.

Questions have been sparked about Australia’s positioning because of past comments made by senior Labor politicians.

While opposition transport spokesman in 2017, Anthony Albanese said Mr Trump “scares the s**t out of me and I think it’s of some concern the leader of the free world thinks that you can conduct politics through 140 characters on Twitter overnight”.

US president-elect Donald Trump will be sworn in next week. Picture: Kamil Krzaczynski / AFP

Meanwhile, Australia’s ambassador to the US Kevin Rudd has called Mr Trump a “village idiot”, “nuts”, the “most destructive president in history” and a “traitor to the West”.

Though, Mr Trump is no stranger to criticism, with even his vice presidential pick, JD Vance, once likening him to Adolf Hitler.

Senator Wong said she was “absolutely confident” the Albanese government could manage a “strong relationship” with the Trump administration.

“I am absolutely confident we can navigate this relationship with the United States as we have navigated the relationship with the United States and others through the time we’ve been in government,” she said.

Originally published as Penny Wong ‘confident’ Labor can work with Trump