US election 2020: Australian politicians, celebrities react to poll

As the US election result refuses to be called, former PM has shared his thoughts on Donald Trump – and he hasn’t held back.

Former Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has taken a spray at US President Donald Trump labelling his personality as that of a “big bully”.

Ms Turnbull is one of a number of Australian politicians and celebrities, including One Nation leader Pauline Hanson, who are weighing in on the historic election.

Talking on ABC’s election coverage, Mr Turnbull was asked about his dealings with Mr Trump, including the infamous 2017 phone call where the PM was said to have got a dressing down from the President.

“Trump is a deliberately polarising figure,” he told host Stan Grant.

“My interactions with him, despite all the colour and movement, were effective, protecting Australia's interests, but he is a big bullying personality.

“You have got to be prepared to stand up to him because bullies do not respect people who suck up and grovel. They encourage people to do that but then you don’t get any respect,” he said.

RELATED: Follow our live coverage of US election day

Former Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has taken a dig at Donald Trump. Picture: ABC.

Nonetheless, Mr Turnbull added he was able to get the President to stick to a refugee deal between the US and Australia thrashed out with Barack Obama and for America not to impose steel tariffs as it had on many other nations.

“He actually listened to a reasoned argument and found it persuasive.”

The former PM said it was too easy to conclude that “everything he does and says is wrong” pointing out Mr Trump’s foreign policy in the Middle East.

“Clearly, (there’s been) great progress in the Middle East between Israel and some of the Arab states. That is full marks for that.”

Earlier, Mr Trump retweeted a post of a distinctive Trump MAGA (Make America Great Again) hat, but changed to the words “Make Orwell Fiction Again” in reference to British author George Orwell who wrote dystopian classic 1984 about a totalitarian state that continually gaslights its citizen

Pauline Hanson laid into VP-hopeful Kamala Harris on Sky News.

On her Pauline Hanson Please Explain page on Facebook, the One Nation leader uploaded an interview between herself and Sky News host Paul Murray on his evening show.

That featured an election ad voiced by Democrat Vice Presidential hopeful Kamala Harris which stated that “equitable treatment” means that “everyone ends up at the same place”.

In her Facebook post, Ms Hanson derided the ad as “feel-good nonsense” that will “lead us down the path to poverty and pain”.

“You simply cannot create a just and fair system where everyone is rewarded the same regardless of effort. It has never worked and it never will.

“Sadly that doesn’t seem to stop left-wing politicians the world over from telling the same lies in the hope that people will be fooled.”

In contrast, posts from MPs of mainstream Aussie parties have been decidedly quiet on the election.

Senior Labor figures, who you might imagine would be cheering on the Democrats, haven’t mentioned it. Perhaps the silence is in case Donald Trump nabs a second term.

Instead, Labor leader Anthony Albanese has posted a picture of him talking to sailors on the HMAS Ararat and praising their sacrifice.

Former leader Bill Shorten tweeted about his Melbourne Cup result.

RELATED: Follow all the celebrity reactions to the US election

Prime Minister Scott Morrison is also silent on the US polling day, perhaps cognisant of not angering either side in the predicted close-call election.

Firebrand backbencher Craig Kelly, from the opposite end of the Liberal’s “broad church” to Mr Turnbull also pinned his colours to the mast.

Mr Kelly is an outspoken fan of Mr Trump and his feed continues to be full of posts promoting the US President’s favourite coronavirus drug hydroxychloroquine. Those posts have included some from organisations accused of spreading misinformation.

But between the corona posts, some election references do pop up, including one with an image of a Trump rally with the headline: “What a crowd.”

Mr Kelly also uploaded a video from a pro-Trump group with the question: “Could Trump flip California?” That’s an outcome which no pollster expects to occur given how strong California is historically for the Democrats.

Zero COVID cases in Vic is a terrific start to this white-knuckle day.

— Adam Bandt (@AdamBandt) November 3, 2020

Happy #ElectionNight pic.twitter.com/vjdkmABDVL

— David Campbell OAM (@DavidCampbell73) November 3, 2020

Greens leader Adam Bandt made a sideways reference to the election tweeting: “Zero COVID cases in Vic is a terrific start to this white-knuckle day.”

And Channel 7 host David Campbell is feeling nervous, tweeting: “I want this election to be over so badly, you’d think I was at a friend’s play.”

Savage Garden singer Darren Hayes is trying to calm his fans who appear to be panicking as the results come in. In a series of tweets he urged people to “calm down” and predicted the result would not be known for days due to the high number of postal votes that need to be counted.

Folks - don't fall for drama. This election is going to take DAYS to count all the votes. And every vote WILL be counted. Be proud and positive! #EveryVoteCounts

— Darren Hayes (@darrenhayes) November 4, 2020