Donald Trump hopped on the phone with multiple world leaders last Saturday, and one of these calls went very wrong. The conversation in question ended when Trump reportedly got huffy and hung up on Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull.
If this story is true, Trump cannot even get along with the leader of one of the United States’ closest allies. Tellingly, we’re not hearing anything negative about his call with Russia’s Vladimir Putin (that talk was filled with “mutual respect”). Australia and the U.S. have fought alongside each other in multiple conflicts and have good diplomatic relations … until now, perhaps.
According to The Washington Post, Trump came on strong to Turnbull and didn’t let up. He reportedly bragged about his electoral college win and began to berate Turnbull over an Australian refugee program:
“This is the worst deal ever,” Trump fumed as Turnbull attempted to confirm that the United States would honor its pledge to take in 1,250 refugees from an Australian detention center. Trump, who one day earlier had signed an executive order temporarily barring the admissions of refugees, complained that he was “going to get killed” politically and accused Australia of seeking to export the “next Boston bombers.”
Hoo boy. To make matters worse, Trump got on Turnbull’s case about having no problems speaking with leaders of four other countries (including BFF Putin). Then he told Turnbull, “This was the worst call by far.” The call, which was scheduled to last an hour, was cut short when Trump abruptly hung up. Further, Turnbull has not denied this report and has only said he’s “not going to add to” it.
CNN Senior White House Correspondent Jim Acosta seconds this report, and he relays that Trump motioned that he wanted to end the call and then did his temper-filled thing.
During call with Australian PM on refugees, Trump pulled phone away from ear and says he wants off call, which ends abruptly per source.
— Jim Acosta (@Acosta) February 2, 2017
Acosta also reports that Trump’s talks with foreign leaders are “making their faces turn white” in the White House.
Source familiar with Trump foreign leader calls says the POTUS convos are turning faces "white" inside the WH.
— Jim Acosta (@Acosta) February 2, 2017
In addition, a recent call between Trump and Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto is making headlines but for inaccurate reasons. The Associated Press initially reported that Trump told Nieto to take care of the “bad hombres,” or he’d send in U.S. troops to do so. However, Acosta reveals that both the White House and Mexico have disputed this story. Instead, Trump extended a friendly offer to have U.S. troops help Mexico deal with these “bad hombres.”
Source on Trump foreign leader calls says POTUS offered EPN the help of US troops to help get the "bad hombres."
— Jim Acosta (@Acosta) February 2, 2017
WH official: "Reports that the President threatened to invade Mexico are false. Even the Mexican government is disputing these reports."
— Jim Acosta (@Acosta) February 2, 2017
Whiplash. So much whiplash.
(Via Washington Post, Jim Acosta on Twitter & Chicago Tribune)