‘Strewth, this is awkward’: US media reacts to Turnbull’s speech
MALCOLM Turnbull didn’t expect his Trump-mocking speech to leave the ballroom. Now the US media is having a field day with his jokes.
ON Wednesday night when Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull made his speech to a room packed full of reporters and his political colleagues and opponents, he expected laughs, gasps, and maybe even to cause a little offence.
What he didn’t expect, was for the jokes he cracked in his pithy address to ever leave the ballroom.
It probably didn’t even cross his mind that his punchlines would be splashes across the pages and screens of major US media outlets, but less than 24 hours later, that’s exactly what happened.
Mr Turnbull’s attempt to score some laughs by poking fun at US President Donald Trump was not only leaked to Australian media, but ended up on the New York Times, USA Today, Time, CNN, CBS, Bloomberg, Politico, and almost every other major American news organisation.
“Strewth, this is awkward,” the Hollywood Reporter began its story.
CNN described the event as “the Australian Parliament’s boozy annual Midwinter Ball”, and began its report saying: “Malcolm Turnbull’s next phone call with Donald Trump could be awkward.”
Australian Prime Minister mocks Trump in leaked audio https://t.co/v8ED9eaSzx pic.twitter.com/7ACFWTQaaH
â Hollywood Reporter (@THR) June 15, 2017
The hot and cold relationship between the Prime Minister and President is well known across the US after the Washington Post was the first to report their fiery January 28 phone call.
In Mr Turnbull’s follow-up meeting with Mr Trump in New York on the USS Intrepid aircraft carrier in May, also covered extensively in the US, both leaders went out of their way to praise each other.
But, after the leaking of audio of Mr Turnbull’s attempted humour at Mr Trump’s expense the US media is questioning whether the relationship could sour again.
“The phone calls between Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull and President Donald Trump are probably not going to get any better,” Time suggested.
In the confines of the clandestine event, Mr Turnbull seemed to let concerns about the pair’s relationship go, as heard in audio posted online by the Nine Network.
“The Donald and I, we are winning and winning in the polls,” he said.
Mr Turnbull also poked fun at his New York meeting, describing it as “the most beautiful putting-me-at-ease ever”.
The Prime Minister also ventured into the political landmine territory of Mr Trump and his relationship with Russia.
“I have this Russian guy,” Mr Turnbull said. “Believe me it’s true, it is true.”
Mr Trump did go to Twitter on Thursday to blast special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation into whether the President obstructed justice into probes on Russian influence into the 2016 presidential election.
“They made up a phony collusion with the Russians story, found zero proof, so now they go for obstruction of justice on the phony story. Nice,” Mr Trump wrote.
“You are witnessing the single greatest WITCH HUNT in American political history — led by some very bad and conflicted people!”
Mr Turnbull laughed off the leaking of the audio, although it goes against the playbook used by world leaders and White House staff who shower the President with praise in public comments.
A statement from the US Embassy indicated there were no hard feelings.
“We understand that last night’s event is equivalent to our own White House Correspondents’ Dinner,” an embassy spokesman said. “We take this with the good humour that was intended.”