US President Donald Trump appeared to be unaware of Australia’s $368billion military pact with the United States when asked about it by a journalist.
When asked by a British reporter ahead of a meeting with UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer at the White House whether the two leaders would be discussing AUKUS, Mr Trump responded ‘what does that mean?’
When the reporter described it as a three-way defence technology partnership between the US, the UK and Australia, Trump agreed it was on the agenda.
‘We’ll be discussing that. We have another great relationship, and you have too, with Australia.
‘Yeah, we’ve had a very good relationship with Australia.’
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has previously said AUKUS represented a ‘new chapter’ in the countries’ relations and was the ‘biggest single investment in Australia’s defence capability in our history’.
The deal is anticipated to cost anywhere from $268billion to $368billion over the next 30 years and extends to matters including quantum computing, hypersonic missiles and artificial intelligence.
Under the deal, Australia will invest US$3billion in the US’ submarine industry in exchange for the opportunity to purchase several Virginia-class nuclear-powered submarines.
US President Donald Trump plans to discuss the AUKUS deal in a meeting with the UK PM
AUKUS is expected to cost anywhere from $268billion to $368billion over the next 30 years
Trump claimed to have a ‘great relationship’ with Australia as tariff uncertainty looms
Though Joe Biden was in office at the time of the deal’s signing, many hoped its size and strategic significance would have curried good favour with the second Trump administration.
When Australia confirmed its first $800million payment under the deal earlier this month, US Secretary of Defence Pete Hegseth said Trump was both supportive and ‘very aware’ of the deal.
In a recent phone call with Trump, Albanese touted the deal as one of a number of reasons why Australia should be exempted from a proposed 25 per cent tariff on all aluminium and steel exports to the US.
Immediately after the call, a jubilant PM fronted the press outside Parliament House to celebrate the success of the ‘constructive’ call.
‘The relationship is in good shape,’ he said.
When asked what Trump made of the AUKUS deal, Albanese was reluctant to lift the veil.
‘Well, quite clearly I’ve indicated there’s very positive support for the AUKUS relationship.
‘I have no intention of speaking on behalf of President Trump. That is up to him.
‘But quite clearly, I’ve indicated there’s strong bipartisan support for AUKUS in Australia and in the United States.’
Employment Minister Murray Watt dismissed concern about the US president not knowing immediately what AUKUS was.
‘I wouldn’t make too much about a president with a very full plate not remembering one acronym. I think all of us go through that sort of thing at different times,’ he told ABC Radio on Friday.
‘You’ll see there that he was able to say very quickly about the strength of the relationship with Australia and the fact that AUKUS will be something he’ll be discussing with the British prime minister.’
Opposition Leader Peter Dutton said the Australian alliance with the US was still strong.
‘Not everyone you know gets the acronyms, and all the rest of it, but there’s no doubt in my mind that the president strongly supports the alliance between our three countries and strongly supports AUKUS,’ he told Nine’s Today program.
‘He stated that previously and the submarine deal … will underpin the national security of our country for the next century.’
