Penny Wong goes MAGA: Uproar as notoriously left-wing Foreign Minister cosies up to Donald Trump’s new White House team – as she desperately tries to find friends in Washington
Secretary of State Penny Wong has been mercilessly mocked for associating with senior figures in President Donald Trump’s new White House team.
The long-serving Labor senator, who is a member of the party’s left-wing faction, has been in Washington DC representing the Australian government at Trump’s inauguration in the Capitol Rotunda.
It was a major coup, as Senator Wong was the first Australian Foreign Minister ever invited to a presidential inauguration and leaders of economic powerhouses such as France and Germany were denied an invitation.
She told the ABC it was an “honor and a privilege” to be there, adding to X that the dedication “reflects the steadfast alliance between our nations.”
“The United States is Australia’s closest ally,” she wrote on X.
“I look forward to working with the new administration to advance our shared interests.”
But Senator Wong’s presence was criticized by Opposition Leader Peter Dutton, who questioned her suitability to represent Australia in the US.
“She’s up there like the best friend Donald Trump ever had. I mean, is that believable?’ Dutton said this during a Liberal Party meeting on Tuesday.
The long-serving Labor senator, who is a member of the party’s left-wing faction, has been in Washington DC representing the Australian government at Trump’s inauguration in the Capitol Rotunda (Photo: Foreign Secretary Penny Wong shakes Marco Rubio’s hand, the new US Secretary of State)

But Senator Wong’s presence was criticized by Opposition Leader Peter Dutton (pictured), who questioned her suitability to represent Australia in the US.
“Did I miss something or was Penny Wong always a strong opponent and hater of Donald Trump – and is now somehow a big supporter of the Trump administration?
“It’s a government of incompetence and fraud.”
However, Labor supporters have praised the high level of access it has achieved in the president’s first few days.
Ms Wong was pictured pressing the meat with Marco Rubio, who was confirmed as President Trump’s secretary of state on Monday.
She told reporters in Washington that the meeting was “very cordial and constructive.”
“We spoke about our shared interest and ambition, the strength of our alliance, the importance of our economic partnership, the work we are doing together with the United Kingdom through AUKUS, and of course crucial minerals, an issue that he and the President talked about,” she said.
The Foreign Secretary also met with Australia’s controversial ambassador to the US, Kevin Rudd, to meet the new president’s national security adviser, Mike Waltz, where they discussed ‘our shared interests when it comes to security and economic prosperity’ discussed.

In addition to the meeting with Rubio, Senator Wong also met with other leaders of ‘the Quad’: Indian Foreign Minister Dr. Subrahmanyam Jaishankar and Japanese Foreign Minister Iwaya Takeshi (photo)
‘I was very happy to meet him so early. In fact, we had such an early meeting that the moving van was still in the West Wing driveway when we came out of our meeting,” Senator Wong added.
Senator Wong was asked if Ambassador Rudd’s tenure was discussed during her meeting with Mr. Rubio, but she said it “didn’t come up.”
Mr Rudd has been heavily criticized for past critical comments about Trump, with one of the new president’s top aides suggesting he would not last long in the role.
“It’s high-level access on the first day of a new administration,” said John Lyons, editor of ABC’s Global Affairs.
“It goes against those who said Australia and Rudd would be frozen.”
Sky News presenter Rita Panahi claimed she saw ‘Leftie fools Kevin Rudd and Penny Wong trying to get cozy with Vivek Ramaswamy at the Starlight Ball’, the official inauguration ball after Trump was sworn in.
Mr Ramaswamy was lined up to join Elon Musk in leading President Trump’s red tape to tackle the Department of Government Efficiency, but he declined.
It has been reported that Mr. Ramaswamy plans to run for governor of Ohio.
Craig Wallace, disability advocate and head of policy at Advocacy for Inclusion, was critical of Senator Wong’s move into the new government.
‘I don’t know about you, but there’s something particularly petty and egregious about the way Anthony Albanese and Penny Wong are trying so hard to grovel and bend the knee to Trump while all this is happening – Labor has lost their moral compass ‘ he wrote on X.
In addition to meeting Mr Rubio, Senator Wong also met with other leaders of ‘the Quad’, Indian Foreign Minister Dr Subrahmanyam Jaishankar. and Japanese Foreign Minister Iwaya Takeshi.