Albanese’s Trump meeting scrapped as US President returns to Washington
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The news: Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s meeting with Donald Trump has been cancelled, as the US President jets home amid the escalating Israel-Iran war.
The context: Albanese had been set to hold his first face-to-face meeting on the sidelines of the G7 in Canada on Wednesday morning Australia time.
The meeting had been billed as a major opportunity for Albanese to raise US tariffs on Australia and stress the importance of AUKUS directly to Trump, whose administration is reviewing the pact.
But in a statement on Tuesday morning, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt revealed Trump will immediately return to Washington “because of what’s going on in the Middle East”.
Trump will attend a dinner for the G7 heads of state on Tuesday morning, Australian time, where Albanese will be present.
The US president also took to his social media platform, Truth Social, to declare: “Everyone should immediately evacuate Tehran”.
Israel has been bombarding the Iranian capital since Friday, escalating its attacks by hitting a state-run media outlet overnight.
Speaking to reporters before the announcement, Albanese played down the prospect of the meeting leading to a major breakthrough on tariffs.
“I don't think it would be reasonable to expect that you would have a complete change,” he told reporters this morning.
“When I first raised with President Trump the issue of tariffs, he said he would give [an exemption] ‘great consideration’. I expect that that will continue.”
Albanese also stressed the US president would “always be a welcome guest” in Australia.
Earlier in the summit, Trump appeared alongside UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer – the other AUKUS leader – to sign a previously-announced trade deal, which will cut US tariffs on British cars and steel.
What they said: “Much was accomplished, but because of what’s going on in the Middle East, President Trump will be leaving tonight after dinner with Heads of State,” Leavitt said in a post on X – formerly Twitter.
The sources: Karoline Leavitt on X, 9News
