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Joe KellyWashington correspondent

Joe Kelly is The Australian’s Washington correspondent, covering news and politics from the US capital. He is an experienced political reporter, having previously been the masthead’s National Affairs Editor and Canberra bureau chief, having joined the parliamentary press gallery in 2010.

@joekellyoz

Joe Kelly

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tight voteWorld

WASHINGTON, DC - JULY 03: Speaker of the House Mike Johnson (R-LA) raps the gavel after the One Big Beautiful Bill Act passes the House of Representatives at the U.S. Capitol on July 03, 2025 in Washington, DC. The House passed the sweeping tax and spending bill after winning over fiscal hawks and moderate Republicans. The bill makes permanent President Donald Trumpâs 2017 tax cuts, increase spending on defense and immigration enforcement and temporarily cut taxes on tips, while at the same time cutting funding for Medicaid, food assistance for the poor, clean energy and raises the nationâs debit limit by $5 trillion. Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images/AFP (Photo by CHIP SOMODEVILLA / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / Getty Images via AFP)

Victory for Trump as ‘big, beautiful bill’ passes

Donald Trump hit the phones late at night to bring Republican rebels into line and make sure his big beautiful bill is signed into law on July 4.

Joe Kelly

COMMENTARYWorld

WASHINGTON, DC - JULY 01: U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio (R) meets with Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong at the U.S. Department of State on July 01, 2025 in Washington, DC. Rubio invited the Foreign Ministers from the Indo-Pacific QuadâAustralia, India, Japan, and the United Statesâto their first meeting during U.S. President Donald Trump's second term. Kayla Bartkowski/Getty Images/AFP (Photo by Kayla Bartkowski / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / Getty Images via AFP)

Wong’s dead-bat diplomacy a mistake

Penny Wong’s visit to Washington shows that Australia is gambling it can manage the Trump 2.0 era without making major concessions – a position fraught with risk.

Joe Kelly

Politics NowNation

CANBERRA, AUSTRALIA - NewsWire Photos - July 2, 2025: The Hon. Sitiveni Rabuka, Prime Minister of Fiji, addresses the National Press Club of Australia.in Canberra. Picture: NewsWire / Martin Ollman

Chinese military base in the Pacific ‘not welcome’: Fiji PM

Sitiveni Rabuka says he does not believe China needs a base in the Pacific, while also hailing Chinese President Xi Jinping as a ‘great leader’.

Noah Yim and Joe Kelly

ALP waves white flagWorld

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio shakes hands with Australiaâs Foreign Minister Penny Wong at the State Department in Washington, DC, on July 1, 2025. Rubio met Tuesday with counterparts from Australia, India and Japan, shifting focus to Asia after a tenure so far marked by crises elsewhere and domestic priorities. Rubio had welcomed the foreign ministers of the so-called Quad on January 21 in his first meeting after President Donald Trump's inauguration, seen as a sign that the new administration would prioritize engagement with like-minded countries to counter China. (Photo by Allison ROBBERT / AFP)

Labor pessimistic Trump will exempt Australia from 10pc tariffs

There is a sense of resignation within the Albanese government that Australia will be unable to obtain an exemption to the 10 per cent baseline tariff, with the government reluctant to offer the White House any concessions.

Joe Kelly and Matthew Cranston

COMMENTARYWorld

Foreign Minister Penny Wong is in Washington to meet her Quad counterparts. Arriving with Former PM Kevin Rudd. Picture: X

Wong faces key test at fraught moment

Penny Wong’s test as Foreign Minister is whether she effectively manages differences with the Trump administration or deepens the sense of disruption.

Joe Kelly

‘unlikely ceasefire’ reachedWorld

Rudd gives Trump ‘full marks’ for Middle East intervention

Kevin Rudd has set out his hope that the US President might now persuade Benjamin Netanyahu to accept a two-state solution with Palestine.

Joe Kelly

SpendingDefence

DAILY TELEGRAPH FRIDAY 27TH JUNE 2025Pictured is Member for Banks Zhi Soon MP , Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Minister for Social Services Tanya Plibersek MP at a residence in East Hills Sydney.Picture: Richard Dobson

Doing enough: PM leaps to his own defence

Anthony Albanese has hit back at a fresh claim by the Trump administration that his government is not investing enough in defence, declaring the budget ‘received the overwhelming support’ of Australians.

Greg Brown and Joe Kelly

Middle EastWorld

Donald Trump experienced a full spectrum of emotions since his tirade prior to leaving for the NATO summit.

Profanity to triumph: Trump’s 24 hours of turmoil

Donald Trump went from ecstatic to so angry he swore in front of the world’s cameras. By the end, he was receiving a hero’s welcome at the NATO summit.

Joe Kelly

SummitWorld

TOPSHOT - NATO country leaders, Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan (3rdL), US President Donald Trump (4thL), France's President Emmanuel Macron (4thR), NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte (Rear C) pose with King Willem-Alexander (C-L) and Queen Maxima (C-R) of the Netherlands for a family photo as they attend a social dinner at the 'Huis ten Bosch' Royal Palace during a North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Heads of State and Government summit in The Hague, on June 24, 2025. NATO leaders hold a two-day summit on June 24 and 25 in The Hague. (Photo by Haiyun Jiang / POOL / AFP)

Trump’s NATO mission: make them pay

Donald Trump arrives at a key NATO summit that will massively increase European defence spending, as doubts emerge over whether Iran’s nuclear program has been ‘totally obliterated’.

Joe Kelly

COMMENTARYWorld

President Donald Trump speaks with reporters before boarding Marine One on the South Lawn of the White House, Tuesday, June 24, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

Trump’s rage shows his distrust of Netanyahu

Donald Trump’s anger at Benjamin Netanyahu reveals a deep concern over whether the Israeli PM could disrupt his ceasefire, blow up tensions and destroy the President’s hopes of being the Middle East peacemaker.

Joe Kelly

Original URL: https://www.theaustralian.com.au/author/joe-kelly