Anthony Albanese abruptly walked out of a press conference after being questioned about his dinner with Donald Trump at the APEC summit in South Korea – moments after taking a Trump-style swipe at the Australian press pack.
The Prime Minister sat directly beside the former US president, while South Korean President Lee Jae Myung, who was hosting the event, was on his other side.
Albanese has since been dubbed Trump’s right-hand man, after the president said he did ‘a fantastic job’ in securing a $13billion critical minerals deal.
The prime minister was quizzed about his prime seat beside Trump by reporters at a press conference in Gyeongju, South Korea, on Thursday.
‘Can I clarify when you received that invite, and were you aware going into the event that you’d be seated at the right-hand side of the US President?’ a reporter asked.
‘Yes, I was. Thank you!’ Albanese replied curtly, before abruptly ending the presser.
The leader had earlier bristled at questions about whether he would attend the COP Leaders’ Summit in Brazil next week, with one journalist suggesting his absence could undermine Australia’s bid to host the climate talks next year.
‘I’m sometimes amused by the contradictory messages from the Australian media,’ he said, taking a Trump-style swipe at the media.
Anthony Albanese (pictured) took a swipe Australian media’s ‘contradictory messages’
Anthony Albanese (pictured) dined with Donald Trump during the APEC summit on Wednesday
‘They say I should travel more internationally – and when I do, they say I should travel less. So, look, we’ll work out our itinerary.’
He confirmed Australia would be represented at the Brazil summit but stopped short of saying he would personally attend.
‘Our parliament is sitting next week, this is the first full sitting week I’ve missed in almost 30 years,’ he said.
‘We take COP very seriously and are advocating to host it at the end of next year. We’re still working through those issues.’
It comes after Australia’s Ambassador to the United States Kevin Rudd spoke publicly for the first time about a tense moment between himself and Trump during Albanese’s high-stakes White House meeting.
The awkward exchange unfolded when Trump unexpectedly singled out Rudd, referencing past criticisms the former Australian Prime Minister had made about him.
‘Did an ambassador say something bad? Where is he? Is he still working for you?’ Trump asked pointedly, prompting Albanese to gesture across the table toward Rudd.
Rudd calmly responded, ‘Before I took this position, Mr President,’ to which Trump retorted, ‘I don’t like you either, and I probably never will’.
Anthony Albanese met with Donald Trump last week for a formal summit in Washington DC
The former president didn’t let the matter drop, later adding a few days later: ‘When they say bad about me, I don’t forget’.
Despite the tension, Rudd remained composed when asked about the incident during a surprise appearance in Canberra.
‘What I would say is that I’m from America and I’m here to help, and my name is Kevin,’ he told reporters, striking a diplomatic tone.
Rudd refused to be drawn into further political drama when pressed by reporters.
‘The Prime Minister had an excellent meeting with the President of the United States,’ he continued.
In 2020, Rudd stated on social media that he considered Trump the ‘most destructive’ president in US history, among other negative public comments.
Rudd deleted those comments in November 2024 after Trump’s re-election, explaining it was ‘out of respect’ for the office of the president.
