Australia will be in a “much better position” than most other countries if Donald Trump is re-elected – as long as we don’t criticise him, according to Joe Hockey, Australia’s former ambassador to the US.
The former Liberal MP and federal finance minister said the 2024 election is now a “real test” for Trump as presumptive Democratic nominee Kamala Harris will run in the November 5 election.
Hockey, who spent four years in the US as ambassador to Australia, said Australia was among Trump’s favourite countries, including Israel, France and Saudi Arabia
“The premise is that he likes Australia,” Hockey said in a Guardian podcast.
‘As long as we don’t openly criticize him or abuse him, we’re in a very good position.
“We are in a much better starting position than any other country.”
Republican presidential candidate and former U.S. President Donald Trump speaks at Turning Point Action’s The Believers Summit 2024 in West Palm Beach, Florida, U.S., July 26
Donald Trump and Joe Hockey meet at the White House during Mr. Hockey’s post as ambassador to the US, which lasted from 2016 to 2020
When asked what Trump likes about Australia, Hockey pointed out that Australia has participated in every major conflict alongside the US in over 100 years.
“We do our part and do more… He loves it,” Hockey said.
He said Harris was a “real test” for Trump after President Joe Biden withdrew from the White House race amid a disastrous debate and concerns about his cognitive decline.
“Oh yeah, I think so, yeah,” Hockey replied when asked if he thought Harris could beat Trump.
‘Donald Trump can beat Donald Trump.’
Asked about Trump, Mr. Hockey said, “He is the best and the worst of himself.”
“I think he defeated himself in 2020, despite the Covid backlash, with his pre-election behavior and decisions.
“At a time when America was being hit hard by Covid, he spent more time talking about himself than he did talking about the American people. And people felt like he wasn’t protecting them, he was protecting himself.”
Vice President Kamala Harris is expected to win the Democratic nomination
Joe Hockey and his wife Melissa Babbage celebrate the end of Mr Hockey’s four-year tenure at the Australian Embassy in the US in 2020
Mr Hockey said he believed the middle class in America believed during the 2020 election that Trump was there for his re-election and not to rebuild the country.
He said he believed this election would be decided by whether Trump focused on “what matters to the American people” rather than another “Trump-a-thon.”
According to Hockey, Trump was good at making his points and “getting his message across,” and was one of the “most incredible communicators of all time.”
He said Biden struggled to get his message across, especially during his short campaign, but that Harris was a “good communicator.”