Albanese posts second selfie with Trump as critics say he is too close to the
Albanese posted a second selfie with Trump; Australians distrust Trump, but he sees US ties as vital.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese took a selfie with Donald Trump at the United Nations this week, drawing sharp criticism on social media. Albanese has now done this twice in a year.
The first time was at last September's UN assembly when he was pushing for Trump's backing on the Aukus nuclear submarine deal. Polls show most Australians distrust Trump.
A July survey found nearly a third believe his second administration has been bad for Australia, and only 16% said his return to the White House was good for the country. Albanese views a strong US relationship as central to Australian foreign policy.
He appears keen to deepen ties with Trump personally. He also uses selfies regularly to control his message and bypass media filters.
- Nearly a third
- Australians who said Trump bad for
- 16%
- Australians who said Trump good for
- June
- Trump summit cancellation
- September last year
- First selfie at UN
Why it mattersThe gap between what the PM believes Australia needs (close US ties) and what voters believe (distrust of Trump) reflects a tension in Australian foreign policy.
AustraliaAlbanese's strategy of strengthening ties with Trump personally may alienate Australian voters who view Trump's policies as harmful to Australian interests.
✓ Claims checked against the source and corrected before publish. checked 45 min ago
