How One Nation scored an invite to Donald Trump’s inauguration

A ONE Nation senator has revealed how the minor party ended up on the invite list to one of the most significant political events in the world.

Now we know how Pauline Hanson ended up with an invitation to Donald Trump’s big do. Picture: Liam Kidston

AN INVITE to Donald Trump’s presidential inauguration is not exactly the hottest ticket in town with a long list of VIP’s turning down the offer.

But still, when One Nation leader Pauline Hanson revealed yesterday she had been invited to come along to the historic event on Saturday, we all wanted to know, how did she get on the list?

Ms Hanson won’t be attending the party due to “commitments in Australia”, but she’s sending a proxy.

One Nation NSW Senator Brian Burston will be attending in her place, and in his first public comments following his acceptance of the unusual invitation, the mystery surrounding how it ended up in the minor party’s hands was revealed.

In an interview with ABC radio, Mr Burston revealed the invitation was delivered via the office of Republican congressman Adam Kinzinger.

The conservative Illinois politician, described by The Hill as “the Tom Cruise of Congress” for his air force pilot background and blue-eyed, chiselled looks, was a critical voice within the party when it came to Mr Trump’s presidential bid, but he’s since shifted his position to be “optimistic” about the new leader.

Adam Kinzinger: ‘The Tom Cruise of Congress’ is One Nation’s ‘in’ with Trump.

According to Mr Burston, Mr Kinzinger reached out to One Nation staffer Darren Nelson, an economist who once worked for Mr Trump and now advises One Nation Senator Malcolm Roberts.

The invitation, according to Mr Roberts, was initially intended for the Queensland Senator but he said couldn’t due to health issues, specifically a hernia. The invitation was then forwarded to Ms Hanson.

Mr Burston, who was passed on the third-hand invitation after Ms Hanson declined, said he would be representing his party, the state of NSW, and Australia when he arrives in the US capital.

“I will be meeting the congressman and espousing our great country to him,” he said.

The Senator assured he would be paying his own way on the trip, and insisted he would have footed the bill himself even if current controversy surrounding parliamentarians’ travel expenses had not come up.

“I don’t think the taxpayer should be paying for me to go to an overseas political event,” he said.

“It’s not related to Australia in any way in the sense of policy ... I don’t think there’s any link in terms of economic advantage or anything of that nature to Australia itself.”

One Nation Senator Brian Burston will be representing One Nation, and he says, NSW and Australia, at the inauguration. Picture: Mick Tsikas/AAP

Mr Burston said he admired Mr Trump because he “says it as it is”, and his political strategy mirrored that of One Nation in Australia.

“He’s speaking the language of a lot of grassroots contingency similar to what we’re trying to do in Australia,” he said.

One Nation senators were popping bottles of champagne on the Parliament House lawn in Canberra following President-elect Trump’s surprise victory last November.

When she revealed she had received the invitation to the new president’s swearing in yesterday, Ms Hanson said she thought it was a “fantastic opportunity”.

The invitation extended to One Nation is a break from tradition as previously foreign delegations, barring official representatives, have not been invited.

“The US State Department has advised that as in the past, foreign delegations will not be invited to Washington for the President-elect Trump’s 2017 inauguration and that heads of state and governments will be represented by chiefs of diplomatic missions in Washington,” a Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade spokesman told News Corp Australia last week.

“Ambassador Joe Hockey will attend this event.”

Democratic politicians, and other invitees, are abandoning commitments to attend US President-elect Donald Trump’s Inauguration in droves. Picture: Dominick Reuter/AFP Photo

A number of Democratic politicians have boycotted the inauguration, and more are expected to announce they won’t be attending protest.

Rolling Stone has revealed another embarrassing boycott, reporting the Bruce Springsteen cover group that was scheduled to play at the Garden State Presidential Inaugural Gala as part of the inauguration celebrations, have pulled out of respect to their musical inspiration.

Springsteen publicly supported Hillary Clinton during the election campaign, and labelled Mr Trump a “flagrant, toxic narcissist” with “simply no sense of decency”.