Trump mocks world leaders, claims they are ‘kissing my ass’ to make a deal on tariffs

Washington: The US is “running up the score” by hitting Australia with tariffs despite already enjoying a trade surplus with the country, Donald Trump’s trade chief says, in comments likely to inflame tensions over the president’s decision to include close allies in his sweeping tariff program.

The comments came as Trump boasted other countries were ringing up and offering to “do anything” to escape the tariffs. “I’m telling you, these countries are calling us up, kissing my ass. They are. They’re dying to make a deal,” he told a Republican Party black tie dinner in Washington.

US President Donald Trump said other countries were lining up to “kiss my ass” over tariffs.Credit: AP

“Please, sir, make a deal,” he said in a tone mocking other world leaders. “I’ll do anything, I’ll do anything, sir.”

Trump also hit out at what he called “shrill voices” criticising his tariffs, labelling them “scoundrels and frauds” who did not care about the US losing manufacturing jobs due to globalisation. “I know what the hell I’m doing,” he said.

Earlier, US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer was grilled about Australia by Mark Warner, a Democratic senator from Virginia, who said the tariffs were insulting to Australia and undermined the AUKUS defence pact that was “terribly important” for both countries’ national security.

Warner asked why the US would “hit” Australia when it was one of the country’s strongest allies and one of the few industrialised nations to which the US sells more than it buys.

“Australia has the lowest rate available under the new program,” Greer said, referring to a general 10 per cent tariff on all imports. “We’re addressing the $US1.2 trillion [trade] deficit, the largest in human history, that president Biden left us with. We should be running up the score on Australia.”

United States Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said the US was “running up the score” by putting tariffs on Australia.Credit: AP

Running up the score generally refers to a sporting strategy where a team that is already significantly ahead keeps trying to score heavily despite the result being beyond doubt. Just as an AFL team might “play for percentage” or an NRL club seek to improve its “for and against”, the US could use a bigger surplus with Australia to offset its deficits elsewhere.

In a heated exchange, Warner pressed Greer further. “We have a free trade agreement,” he said. “They are an incredibly important national security partner. Why were they whacked with a tariff?”

Greer replied: “Despite the agreement, they ban our beef, they ban our pork, they’re getting ready to impose measures on our digital companies. It’s incredible.”

Warner said Greer’s answer was disappointing. “The idea that we are going to whack friend and foe alike, and particularly friends, with this level [of tariffs] is both insulting to the Australians, undermines our national security, and frankly makes us not a good partner going forward,” he said.

Following the Senate hearing, Warner noted the AUKUS pact and said Australia must be considering whether it could depend on the United States after being hit with Trump’s tariffs.

“We’re supposed to be doing this major deal around jointly building submarines,” he said. “I think they and all of our allies are rethinking whether we can be counted on as a partner.”

Mark Warner, a Democratic senator from Virginia, said Donald Trump’s tariffs were “insulting” to Australia. Credit: AP

Despite the US’s long-running trade surplus with Australia, figures from the Bureau of Statistics released on Thursday showed for a second successive month, Australia sold more to America than it received in imports.

The surplus of $1.1 billon in February was again driven by huge purchases of gold by American investors, which has helped drive the price of the precious metal to all-time highs.

Earlier in the hearing, Greer repeated long-standing grievances about Australia’s refusal to accept exports of American beef and pork – a claim that is partially disputed by Canberra – after being questioned about it by a Republican senator from Texas, John Cornyn.

“It’s always surprising because we have a free trade agreement with Australia, and we would expect that we’d have fair, reciprocal trade,” Greer said. “It’s not just beef. Australia also blocks – on specious fake science grounds – the export of fresh and frozen US pork. It’s incredible that they do this.”

Republican senator from Texas John Cornyn questioned the US Trade Representative over Australia’s “ban” on US beef.Credit: AP

Australia banned imports of American beef in 2003 due to concerns about mad cow disease, and the free trade agreement was enacted in 2005. The ban on fresh US beef was technically lifted in 2019, but imports remain at zero due to concerns about American beef being sourced from elsewhere and integrated into the supply chain.

The grievance has been consistently raised in trade negotiations over the years, including in talks with the Trump administration. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said the country would not budge on biosecurity.

“Australia does not ban imports of beef from the United States,” Australia’s Department of Agriculture said in a statement. “Import conditions into Australia are currently available for beef products sourced from cattle born, raised and slaughtered in the US.

“The US has requested to expand its access to the Australian market to include beef products sourced from cattle from Mexico and Canada and legally imported into the US for export.

“Australia’s assessment for this additional US request is progressing. US exporters have not commenced trade under the existing import conditions into Australia in the meantime.”

The baseline 10 per cent tariff for almost all US trading partners began on the weekend. The so-called reciprocal tariffs, which go beyond 10 per cent, came into effect on Wednesday.

US tariffs on China also increased another 50 per cent to a cumulative total of 104 per cent, after China refused to comply with Trump’s demand to withdraw its own retaliatory tariffs.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said despite “fearmongering by the media”, nearly 70 countries had made contact with the administration to open trade negotiations.

“Countries are falling over themselves to reform their unfair trade practices and free open their markets to our country. Why? Because these countries greatly respect President Trump and the sheer power of the American market,” she said.

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