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Malcolm Turnbull, Australian Leader, Pokes Fun at Trump in Leaked Recording Malcolm Turnbull, Australian Leader, Pokes Fun at Trump in Leaked Recording
(about 11 hours later)
SYDNEY, Australia — Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull’s first phone call with President Trump was famously unpleasant. His next one might be even more so.SYDNEY, Australia — Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull’s first phone call with President Trump was famously unpleasant. His next one might be even more so.
On Thursday, an Australian news network released a brief recording of Mr. Turnbull poking fun at the president, at a dinner full of journalists that was supposed to be off the record.On Thursday, an Australian news network released a brief recording of Mr. Turnbull poking fun at the president, at a dinner full of journalists that was supposed to be off the record.
“The Donald and I, we are winning and winning in the polls,” said Mr. Turnbull (whose actual poll numbers, like Mr. Trump’s, are nothing to boast about). “We are winning so much. We are winning like we have never won before.”“The Donald and I, we are winning and winning in the polls,” said Mr. Turnbull (whose actual poll numbers, like Mr. Trump’s, are nothing to boast about). “We are winning so much. We are winning like we have never won before.”
“We’re winning in the real polls,” he continued, to gales of laughter from the audience. “You know, the online polls.” He added, “They are so easy to win. I have this Russian guy.”“We’re winning in the real polls,” he continued, to gales of laughter from the audience. “You know, the online polls.” He added, “They are so easy to win. I have this Russian guy.”
Mr. Turnbull’s parody of Trumpian rhetorical bluster, and his allusion to the investigation into the Trump campaign’s ties to Russia, were recorded Wednesday night at Parliament House’s Mid Winter Ball, an annual event not unlike the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner in Washington. Organized by journalists, it is one of the premier social events in Canberra, the capital, featuring comic (or would-be comic) speeches by the prime minister and the opposition leader. Mr. Turnbull’s parody of Trumpian bluster, and his allusion to the investigation into Trump campaign ties to Russia, were recorded Wednesday night at Parliament House’s Mid Winter Ball, an annual event not unlike the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner in Washington. Organized by journalists, it is one of the premier social events in Canberra, the capital, featuring comic (or would-be comic) speeches by the prime minister and the opposition leader.
Unlike its Washington equivalent, the ball is supposed to be off the record. But the Nine TV network posted the audio clip online; its political editor, Laurie Oakes, said he did not believe reporting should be banned at events hosted by journalists. Mr. Oakes, who said he had not attended the dinner, did not say who had made the recording.Unlike its Washington equivalent, the ball is supposed to be off the record. But the Nine TV network posted the audio clip online; its political editor, Laurie Oakes, said he did not believe reporting should be banned at events hosted by journalists. Mr. Oakes, who said he had not attended the dinner, did not say who had made the recording.
Mr. Turnbull’s relationship with Mr. Trump got off to a bad start with their first telephone call in January. During the call, Mr. Turnbull pressed Mr. Trump to honor an agreement, reached near the end of the Obama administration, to accept hundreds of refugees from Australian offshore detention centers. Mr. Trump abruptly ended the conversation and later posted on Twitter that the agreement was a “dumb deal.”Mr. Turnbull’s relationship with Mr. Trump got off to a bad start with their first telephone call in January. During the call, Mr. Turnbull pressed Mr. Trump to honor an agreement, reached near the end of the Obama administration, to accept hundreds of refugees from Australian offshore detention centers. Mr. Trump abruptly ended the conversation and later posted on Twitter that the agreement was a “dumb deal.”
In the leaked recording, Mr. Turnbull joked about the leaders’ first face-to-face meeting last month in New York, which had been preceded by much analysis about its potential awkwardness in light of the January call. “It was beautiful,” Mr. Turnbull said. “It was the most beautiful putting-me-at-ease ever.” In the leaked recording, Mr. Turnbull joked about the leaders’ first face-to-face meeting last month in New York, which had been preceded by much analysis about its potential awkwardness in light of the January call.
“It was beautiful,” Mr. Turnbull said. “It was the most beautiful putting-me-at-ease ever.”
Many Australian commentators thought Mr. Turnbull had come off as weak during that meeting, and there was speculation Thursday that the recording was leaked deliberately to make him look less subservient to the president.Many Australian commentators thought Mr. Turnbull had come off as weak during that meeting, and there was speculation Thursday that the recording was leaked deliberately to make him look less subservient to the president.
Mr. Turnbull appeared to take the leak in stride, noting the self-deprecating aspect of his speech. “It’s a breach of protocol, it’s a breach of faith and all those things, but you know it’s lighthearted, it’s affectionate, good-natured, and the butt of my jokes was myself,” he said on a radio station. Mr. Turnbull appeared to take the leak in stride, noting the self-deprecating aspect of his speech.
But he also suggested that he wouldn’t be making fun of other world leaders next time. “I guess what that means is that next year at the Mid Winter Ball, I will read selected passages from Budget Paper No. 2,” he said. “It’s a breach of protocol, it’s a breach of faith and all those things, but you know it’s lighthearted, it’s affectionate, good-natured, and the butt of my jokes was myself,” Mr. Turnbull told a radio station.
But he also suggested that he would not be making fun of other world leaders next time.
“I guess what that means is that next year at the Mid Winter Ball, I will read selected passages from Budget Paper No. 2,” Mr. Turnbull said.