Former Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull entertained an audience on Tuesday by mimicking Donald Trump while urging the nation’s political leaders to take a firm stance against the US president in the upcoming general election.
Turnbull, who led Australia when Trump first assumed office in 2017, briefly imitated the former US president’s distinctive speech style during his address.
Encouraging candidates in Australia’s May 3 election not to fear Trump’s influence, Turnbull emphasized the importance of strong leadership.
“That’s the challenge for our leaders — they’ve got to be able to stand up,” he stated. “If that means they get a brickbat or a Truth Social post saying, ‘You’re weak and ineffectual. You don’t know anything about China,’” he continued, mimicking Trump’s cadence.
“If you’re spooked by that, you shouldn’t be in the job,” he concluded, drawing laughter from the audience.
Earlier this year, Turnbull criticized Trump’s return to office, labeling it as “chaotic” and “erratic.” Trump later fired back on Truth Social, calling Turnbull “a weak and ineffective leader” who “never understood what was going on in China.”
Their strained relationship dates back to Trump’s unexpected 2016 election victory when Turnbull, like many world leaders, placed a congratulatory call. However, Trump reportedly described it as “the worst by far.”
Further highlighting their rocky ties, then-White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer mistakenly referred to Turnbull as “Mr. Trumble” twice during a press briefing.
