US President Donald Trump has publicly criticised an Australian reporter during a tense exchange at the White House, telling the journalist he was “hurting Australia” and that he would inform Prime Minister Anthony Albanese at their next meeting.
ABC journalist John Lyons was on the White House lawn ahead of Trump’s trip to the United Kingdom when he asked questions about the president’s business dealings.
“Is it appropriate, President Trump, that a president in office should be engaged in so much business activity?” Lyons asked.
Trump responded that he was “really not” involved because “my kids are running the business”.
He then asked the Washington-based journalist where he was from.
“In my opinion, you are hurting Australia very much right now, and they want to get along with me,” Trump said.
“You know, your leader is coming over to see me very soon.
I’m going to tell him about you. You set a very bad tone.”
When Lyons attempted to ask another question, Trump interrupted him, telling him to “quiet”.
The ABC reported that Lyons’ questions were part of a Four Corners probe into Trump’s business dealings since his re-election.
Australian politicians have defended Lyons, with minister Clare O’Neil telling Sunrise that it is a journalist’s job to “keep politicians accountable”.
“Donald Trump got asked some of those tough questions, and it’s something that we see every day in the Australian media,” she said.
“The journalists are there to try to keep politicians accountable, and they’re entitled to ask difficult questions.”
Albanese and Trump have yet to meet since their re-elections, but a meeting appears likely for late September when the prime minister travels to New York for the United Nations General Assembly.
Trump previously praised Albanese as a “good man” after the two leaders held their fourth one-on-one phone call earlier in September, which the prime minister described as “really warm”.
A face-to-face meeting had been planned on the sidelines of the G7 summit in Canada in June but was cancelled after Trump returned to the US early to address the Iran-Israel conflict.
Images: Instagram
