Muzzle velocity
Donald Trump's rapid-fire announcement of one extraordinary policy after another in the first days of his second presidency has caught the media, the markets and allies like Australia off guard.
Despite the blaring sunshine and an unusually loud fountain, you could sense Anthony Albanese’s frustration rising as he fronted journalists in the Prime Minister's Courtyard to make what on many days would be a newsworthy policy announcement.
“It’s a cracker and I’m very pleased with it,” an initially upbeat prime minister remarked as he unveiled a $1.7 billion package to strengthen Medicare and public hospitals. But as his press conference on the package became completely overwhelmed by questions on yet another earthquake emanating from Washington, Albanese became increasingly prickly.
Just hours before Albanese stood up, US President Donald Trump declared that he wants to take control of Gaza and redevelop it into the “Riviera of the Middle East”. Understandably, the prime minister largely rebuffed questions on the issue. When Capital Brief’s Finn McHugh asked whether refusing to comment on the legality of the proposal would undermine Australia’s credibility when criticising the likes of China and Myanmar, he was a bit more forthcoming. “Not at all … My job is to support Australia's position,” he said, referring to the long-held push for a two-state solution.
Trump’s announcement was extraordinary on the face of it, but also follows a string of extraordinary announcements from Trump since he returned to power a fortnight ago — from tariffs on Canada and Mexico that have since been paused, to suggestions the US acquire Greenland, to a vague plan to plant the US flag on Mars, and many more.
