In Australia, Trump's hostility is being viewed as deliberate bullying


Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull's week was turned upside down when The Washington Post, citing "senior U.S. officials briefed on the Saturday exchange," reported late Wednesday that his phone call last Saturday with President Trump had ended abruptly after Trump got angry over a deal he inherited to accept 1,250 refugees. Turnbull said in a news conference on Thursday that he always stands up for Australia, these conversations are private, and "if you see reports of them, I'm not going to add to them." It's the top story in Australia.
On CNN Wednesday night, The Australian's Sarah Martin said "the reaction here has been one of shock and disbelief, not only the fact that the details of this high-level conversation have been leaked to the press in the U.S., which is obviously extraordinary in itself," but also that there was "a hostile exchange" at all. Australians "certainly see ourselves as one of the United States' most dependable allies," she said, and this "farcical" conversation is "raising concerns here about the temperament of the new U.S. president, and of course I don't think Australia is alone on that one."
On Sky News Australia, reporter Laura Jayes said senior sources in the Australian government confirmed that "Donald Trump did hang up mid-conversation, after 25 minutes, his tone was described as 'yelling' across the phone," she said. "I also understand that the view from Malcolm Turnbull was that Donald Trump is a bully, and to confront a bully you need to bully back," so "he wasn't just sitting there being berated by Donald Trump."
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Kristina Keneally, a political commentator, suggested that Trump was trying to humiliate Turnbull, a fellow multimillionaire businessman. The revelations "could have only come from the White House, they are clearly damaging to Malcolm Turnbull, they are clearly in service of Donald Trump and his political agenda," she said. "When you're facing a bully, you've got to decide your tactic."
The stakes for Turnbull, who narrowly won re-election last year, are high. "It sounds almost as though Trump was 'negging' the PM like a particularly low-rent pick up artist," said Andrew Street at The Sydney Morning Herald, referring to a tactic where a man deliberately tries to seduce a woman through confidence-sapping backhanded compliments. "A leader can endure being disliked; few have survived becoming a figure of outright ridicule."
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.
-
Today's political cartoons - May 3, 2025
Cartoons Saturday's cartoons - measles on the rise, sage advice, and more
-
5 shellshocked cartoons about Trump's first 100 days
Cartoons Artists take on a wild ride, F.D.R., and more
-
Kashmir: on the brink of a 'catastrophic' war
Talking Point Relations between India and Pakistan are 'cratering' in the aftermath of a shocking terror attack in the disputed border region
-
Trump judge bars deportations under 1798 law
speed read A Trump appointee has ruled that the president's use of a wartime act for deportations is illegal
-
Trump ousts Waltz as NSA, taps him for UN role
speed read President Donald Trump removed Mike Waltz as national security adviser and nominated him as U.S. ambassador to the United Nations
-
Trump blames Biden for tariffs-linked contraction
speed read The US economy shrank 0.3% in the first three months of 2025, the Commerce Department reported
-
Trump says he could bring back Ábgego García but won't
Speed Read At a rally to mark his 100th day in office, the president doubled down on his unpopular immigration and economic policies
-
Canada's Liberals, Carney win national election
Speed Read The party of Prime Minister Mark Carney beat Conservative Pierre Poilievre thanks in part to Trump's trade war
-
Trump's 100-day approval ratings at historic low
Speed Read Americans appear to be wary of Trump's sweeping tariffs and handling of the economy
-
Judge blocks key part of Trump's elections overhaul
Speed Read Colleen Kollar-Kotelly's decision temporarily bars federal officials from requiring Americans to prove they are citizens to register to vote
-
Hegseth's chief of staff joins Pentagon exodus
Speed Read Joe Kasper has stepped down, leaving the Defense Secretary 'increasingly isolated'