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| Donald Trump rages at 'dumb deal' with Australia over refugee resettlement – live | Donald Trump rages at 'dumb deal' with Australia over refugee resettlement – live |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| 5.05am GMT | |
| 05:05 | |
| And here’s Guardian Australia political editor Katharine Murphy’s analysis of that slightly uncomfortable Turnbull interview: | |
| Turnbull, in essence, is staring Trump down on @2GBNews We had a deal, you said you'd honour it #auspol | |
| This is not a deal Trump would have done, or he'd regard as a good deal @TurnbullMalcolm says, but a deal is a deal is his point #auspol | |
| 4.58am GMT | |
| 04:58 | |
| Turnbull on Trump: summary | |
| Australian prime minister Malcolm Turnbull once again refused to be drawn on reports that his call with Donald Trump was a fraught one, with the US president reportedly describing it as “the worst call by far” with a foreign leader. | |
| But Turnbull did insist that Trump had not hung up on him: | |
| The report that the president hung up is not correct – the call ended courteously. | |
| Despite a tweet by Trump calling the US-Australian agreement to resettle up to 1,250 refugees from Nauru and Manus island a “dumb deal”, Turnbull said the president would honour the commitment: | |
| We have a commitment from the US president, confirmed several times now by the government. | |
| Trump himself would not have signed up to such an agreement, the Australian PM conceded: | |
| This is not a deal that he would have done or that he would regard as a good deal … But the question is, will he commit to honour the deal and he has given that commitment. | |
| Pressed on the Trump tweet that appeared to chuck aside that commitment, Turnbull said: | |
| Well, that is his tweet. I’m telling you what’s been said to us. | |
| 4.51am GMT | |
| 04:51 | |
| Officials are working in Washington this week to secure the details of the deal, Turnbull says. | |
| My job … is to defend our interests. America is our most important ally. We have very frank discussions. | |
| 4.50am GMT | |
| 04:50 | |
| Turnbull: Trump tweet doesn't affect deal | |
| Turnbull refuses to be drawn on whether Trump described their phone chat as the “worst call ever”, saying he made the case for Australian interests “powerfully” and “persuasively”. | |
| We have a commitment from the US president, confirmed several times now by the government. | |
| He says he doesn’t think Trump’s tweet changes that. | |
| This is not a deal that he would have done or that he would regard as a good deal … But the question is, will he commit to honour the deal and he has given that commitment. | |
| 4.46am GMT | |
| 04:46 | |
| Turnbull says he will not reveal details of the conversation but insists that Trump did make a commitment in the call to the refugee resettlement deal. | |
| What the president is doing … he committed to honour a deal done by his predecessor that, no doubt, he would say he wouldn’t do himself. | |
| 4.45am GMT | |
| 04:45 | |
| Turnbull: Trump did not hang up on me | |
| Turnbull says he is “very disappointed that there’s been a leak of purported details” of the call with Trump. | |
| But he adds: | |
| The report that the president hung up is not correct – the call ended courteously. | |
| These calls generally, naturally, remain confidential. | |
| He says he won’t comment on details beyond his denial that Trump hung up on him. | |
| 4.43am GMT | |
| 04:43 | |
| Malcolm Turnbull is speaking now on Sydney’s 2GB radio. | |
| I had a call with President Trump … and the president committed to honour the refugee resettlement deal. | |
| Turnbull says Sean Spicer and the US embassy in Canberra also confirmed this. | |
| He’s seen the Trump tweet, he confirms. | |
| Well, that is his tweet. I’m telling you what’s been said to us. | |
| 4.35am GMT | 4.35am GMT |
| 04:35 | 04:35 |
| Katharine Murphy | Katharine Murphy |
| Donald Trump told Malcolm Turnbull the US-Australia refugee resettlement agreement was “the worst deal ever” and warned he was going to “get killed” politically during their one-on-one call last weekend, according to a detailed account of the conversation in the Washington Post. | Donald Trump told Malcolm Turnbull the US-Australia refugee resettlement agreement was “the worst deal ever” and warned he was going to “get killed” politically during their one-on-one call last weekend, according to a detailed account of the conversation in the Washington Post. |
| The Washington Post reported that Trump had fumed during his Sunday phone call with the Australian prime minister, telling Turnbull he’d spoken to other world leaders on the same day, and this was “this was the worst call by far”. | The Washington Post reported that Trump had fumed during his Sunday phone call with the Australian prime minister, telling Turnbull he’d spoken to other world leaders on the same day, and this was “this was the worst call by far”. |
| Trump, according to the report, accused Australia of seeking to export the “next Boston bombers”. | Trump, according to the report, accused Australia of seeking to export the “next Boston bombers”. |
| The report says the friction between the two leaders “reflected Trump’s anger over being bound by an agreement reached by the Obama administration to accept refugees from Australian detention sites even while Trump was issuing an executive order suspending such arrivals from elsewhere in the world”. | The report says the friction between the two leaders “reflected Trump’s anger over being bound by an agreement reached by the Obama administration to accept refugees from Australian detention sites even while Trump was issuing an executive order suspending such arrivals from elsewhere in the world”. |
| The White House declined to comment on the report. | The White House declined to comment on the report. |
| The call, scheduled for an hour, was terminated after 25 minutes, the Post said. The source of the account is attributed as a “senior US official”. | The call, scheduled for an hour, was terminated after 25 minutes, the Post said. The source of the account is attributed as a “senior US official”. |
| 4.30am GMT | 4.30am GMT |
| 04:30 | 04:30 |
| The to-ing and fro-ing on whether a Trump administration would honour a resettlement deal secured by its predecessor has been difficult to keep up with. | The to-ing and fro-ing on whether a Trump administration would honour a resettlement deal secured by its predecessor has been difficult to keep up with. |
| Yesterday, Sean Spicer, the White House press spokesman, said it would go ahead: | Yesterday, Sean Spicer, the White House press spokesman, said it would go ahead: |
| There will be extreme vetting applied to all of them. | There will be extreme vetting applied to all of them. |
| That is part and parcel of the deal that was made, and it was made by the Obama administration with the full backing of the United States government. | That is part and parcel of the deal that was made, and it was made by the Obama administration with the full backing of the United States government. |
| But ABC correspondent Zoe Daniel later reported: | But ABC correspondent Zoe Daniel later reported: |
| We’ve just had a call from a different person at the White House, not Sean Spicer but another spokesperson wanting to clarify … the president himself is still considering whether to actually go ahead with the deal, has not fully decided whether to do that. | We’ve just had a call from a different person at the White House, not Sean Spicer but another spokesperson wanting to clarify … the president himself is still considering whether to actually go ahead with the deal, has not fully decided whether to do that. |
| Today saw the US embassy in Canberra confirm the deal would go ahead, as per Spicer’s comments … only to be contradicted by Trump on Twitter. | Today saw the US embassy in Canberra confirm the deal would go ahead, as per Spicer’s comments … only to be contradicted by Trump on Twitter. |
| 4.24am GMT | 4.24am GMT |
| 04:24 | 04:24 |
| Very shortly before Trump tweeted his anger at the refugee resettlement deal, a spokesperson for the US embassy in Canberra issued this statement: | Very shortly before Trump tweeted his anger at the refugee resettlement deal, a spokesperson for the US embassy in Canberra issued this statement: |
| President Trump’s decision to honor the refugee agreement has not changed and spokesman [Sean] Spicer’s comments stand. | President Trump’s decision to honor the refugee agreement has not changed and spokesman [Sean] Spicer’s comments stand. |
| This was just reconfirmed to the State Department from the WH [White House] and on to this embassy at 1315 Canberra time. | This was just reconfirmed to the State Department from the WH [White House] and on to this embassy at 1315 Canberra time. |
| One hour and 40 minutes later: | One hour and 40 minutes later: |
| Do you believe it? The Obama Administration agreed to take thousands of illegal immigrants from Australia. Why? I will study this dumb deal! | Do you believe it? The Obama Administration agreed to take thousands of illegal immigrants from Australia. Why? I will study this dumb deal! |
| 4.18am GMT | 4.18am GMT |
| 04:18 | 04:18 |
| Earlier on Wednesday, quizzed on claims that Trump had hung up on him during their phone call, Malcolm Turnbull said he was not going to comment on a private conversation: | Earlier on Wednesday, quizzed on claims that Trump had hung up on him during their phone call, Malcolm Turnbull said he was not going to comment on a private conversation: |
| I’m not going to comment on the conversation. | I’m not going to comment on the conversation. |
| During the course of the conversation, as you know and it was confirmed by the president’s official spokesman, the president assured me that he would continue with, honour the agreement we entered into with the Obama administration, with respect to refugee resettlement. | During the course of the conversation, as you know and it was confirmed by the president’s official spokesman, the president assured me that he would continue with, honour the agreement we entered into with the Obama administration, with respect to refugee resettlement. |
| With Trump’s latest comments, that assurance is looking much less convincing. | With Trump’s latest comments, that assurance is looking much less convincing. |
| 4.14am GMT | 4.14am GMT |
| 04:14 | 04:14 |
| Many US commentators have expressed bafflement at Trump’s decision to ruffle feathers in Australia – a country that has long been a close ally of America and (along with Canada, New Zealand and the UK) one of the Five Eyes, an intelligence-sharing alliance. | Many US commentators have expressed bafflement at Trump’s decision to ruffle feathers in Australia – a country that has long been a close ally of America and (along with Canada, New Zealand and the UK) one of the Five Eyes, an intelligence-sharing alliance. |
| Australia is one of our closest allies and a member of the Five Eyes surveillance community. Gotta wonder what the other three are thinking. | Australia is one of our closest allies and a member of the Five Eyes surveillance community. Gotta wonder what the other three are thinking. |
| President went out of his way to insult the leader of one of America's most loyal allies - Australia https://t.co/W0wqlcoqig | President went out of his way to insult the leader of one of America's most loyal allies - Australia https://t.co/W0wqlcoqig |
| Amazing. We could invade literally any country in the world tomorrow and the Aussies would be good for two brigades. No questions asked. https://t.co/pVnENVPfrt | Amazing. We could invade literally any country in the world tomorrow and the Aussies would be good for two brigades. No questions asked. https://t.co/pVnENVPfrt |
| Who'd have thought it was possible to blow the US-Australia relationship? It's childproof. But not Trumpproof. https://t.co/r2rOtESKRV | Who'd have thought it was possible to blow the US-Australia relationship? It's childproof. But not Trumpproof. https://t.co/r2rOtESKRV |
| i just...can't believe we're having a crisis with Australia | i just...can't believe we're having a crisis with Australia |
| Updated | Updated |
| at 4.15am GMT | at 4.15am GMT |
| 4.09am GMT | 4.09am GMT |
| 04:09 | 04:09 |
| What is the refugee resettlement deal? | What is the refugee resettlement deal? |
| Ben Doherty | Ben Doherty |
| Donald Trump appears set to abandon his government’s agreement to resettle refugees from Australia’s offshore detention islands, calling it was a “dumb deal” and describing the refugees as “illegal immigrants”. | Donald Trump appears set to abandon his government’s agreement to resettle refugees from Australia’s offshore detention islands, calling it was a “dumb deal” and describing the refugees as “illegal immigrants”. |
| Less than two hours previously, his own state department had insisted the deal was on. | Less than two hours previously, his own state department had insisted the deal was on. |
| “President Trump’s decision to honor the refugee agreement has not changed,” a US embassy spokesperson in Canberra said in a statement. | “President Trump’s decision to honor the refugee agreement has not changed,” a US embassy spokesperson in Canberra said in a statement. |
| The deal brokered between former US president Barack Obama and Australian prime minister Malcolm Turnbull originally forecast the resettlement of up to 1,250 refugees from Australia’s offshore detention islands of Manus island and Nauru. | The deal brokered between former US president Barack Obama and Australian prime minister Malcolm Turnbull originally forecast the resettlement of up to 1,250 refugees from Australia’s offshore detention islands of Manus island and Nauru. |
| Both Australian-run detention camps have been the subject of sustained criticism by the UN, human rights groups and other nations over systemic sexual and physical abuse of those detained, including rapes, beatings and the murder of one asylum seeker by guards; child sexual abuse; chronic rates of self-harm and suicide; dangerous levels of sustained mental illness, harsh conditions and inadequate medical treatment leading to several deaths. | Both Australian-run detention camps have been the subject of sustained criticism by the UN, human rights groups and other nations over systemic sexual and physical abuse of those detained, including rapes, beatings and the murder of one asylum seeker by guards; child sexual abuse; chronic rates of self-harm and suicide; dangerous levels of sustained mental illness, harsh conditions and inadequate medical treatment leading to several deaths. |
| The deal with Australia does not commit the US to unconditionally accepting any number of refugees from Australia’s offshore detention islands. The deal only commits the US to allowing refugees to “express an interest” in being resettled in America. Any, even all, refugees may be rejected during the “extreme vetting” process. | The deal with Australia does not commit the US to unconditionally accepting any number of refugees from Australia’s offshore detention islands. The deal only commits the US to allowing refugees to “express an interest” in being resettled in America. Any, even all, refugees may be rejected during the “extreme vetting” process. |
| Currently, there are about 1,900 people, refugees and asylum seekers, on Australia’s two offshore detention islands. The latest Australian government statistics show there are 871 men in detention on Manus Island and 373 people living in the regional processing centre on Nauru. About 700 more refugees sent to Nauru by Australia live in the community on that island. Only refugees – those recognised as having a well-founded fear of persecution in their home country – will be considered for resettlement. | Currently, there are about 1,900 people, refugees and asylum seekers, on Australia’s two offshore detention islands. The latest Australian government statistics show there are 871 men in detention on Manus Island and 373 people living in the regional processing centre on Nauru. About 700 more refugees sent to Nauru by Australia live in the community on that island. Only refugees – those recognised as having a well-founded fear of persecution in their home country – will be considered for resettlement. |
| 4.04am GMT | 4.04am GMT |
| 04:04 | 04:04 |
| After reports in the last few hours that Donald Trump hung up on a phone call with Australian prime minister Malcolm Turnbull over what Trump reportedly called the “worst deal ever”, the US president has now launched a Twitter outburst against the plan: | After reports in the last few hours that Donald Trump hung up on a phone call with Australian prime minister Malcolm Turnbull over what Trump reportedly called the “worst deal ever”, the US president has now launched a Twitter outburst against the plan: |
| Do you believe it? The Obama Administration agreed to take thousands of illegal immigrants from Australia. Why? I will study this dumb deal! | Do you believe it? The Obama Administration agreed to take thousands of illegal immigrants from Australia. Why? I will study this dumb deal! |
| We’ll follow the fallout here. | We’ll follow the fallout here. |