You Are Worse Than I Am

President Donald Trump on a phone call.   REUTERS  Carlos Barria
President Donald Trump on a phone call. REUTERS Carlos Barria
Author

05 August, 2017

Donald Trump caused a controversy early in his presidency when he hung up the phone on Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull, in a massive affront to diplomatic norms. Panda was correct in that assessment, but Trump is not a man to be tied by expectations, or, as the leaked transcript of the call proves, by deals made by his predecessor.

"Whether you like President Trump or not, no president can do business if their phone calls are going to be leaked to The Washington Post", he told NBC News. "You are worse than I am".

Trump pushed back hard at Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull on the topic of an Obama-era deal to agree to process 1,250 to 2,000 refugees. Just $5 a month.

According to a transcript of the call, published Thursday by The Washington Post, Trump told Turnbull that the deal was "rotten" and he resented taking in the refugees.

Both of the state's US senators criticized his comments in statements on Twitter, while Gov. Chris Sununu said in a statement that Trump was wrong. "It is recognition of the practical political realities".

Mr McKim has called on the government to resettle refugees held on Manus Island and Nauru in Australia.

The 100-year-old World War II prisoner of war survivor spent two years working on the Thai-Burma railway, was torpedoed in the China Sea while imprisoned on a Japanese warship, and spent four days adrift in the ocean before being rescued by a United States submarine.

We are like a dumping ground for the rest of the world. Never mind that neither of the San Bernardino attackers, nor any of the 9/11 attackers, came to the U.S.as refugees.

Mr Turnbull sought to reassure the USA president, telling him they were "not in that league" but rather were economic opportunists.

"Above all, the most important attribute you should take through life is curiosity, because you will be always learning", he said.

"And when I was lying on my back in the mud, with dysentery, I remembered what she said, "Don't give up", and I think that's what got me through".

The president complains that he "doesn't understand" why the deal is "so important" and seems to end the discussion abruptly. So what we say is, we will decide which people get to come to Australia who are refugees, economic migrants, businessmen, whatever. Put even simpler: no boats.

"It is not because they are bad people", Turnbull replied. "It is entirely up to you", the PM said. We should do that too. John McCain called Turnbull later to reiterate the United States' commitment to the alliance with Australia - but the White House staff-produced transcripts the newspaper obtained show how the conversation unfolded. I will say it just that way.

President Trump expressed strong disapproval about the deal, referring to the cohort as "prisoners" and saying "I guarantee you they are bad". He also tries to appeal to the value of commitments in global relations: "Mr. President, I think this will make you look like a man who stands by the commitments of the United States". "Who made the deal?"

Mr Martin was one of the Diggers Mr Turnbull met on a visit to Albany yesterday, after he toured the National Anzac Centre war museum at Mt Clarence. "That is why they lost the election, because of stupid deals like this".

TRUMP:"What is the thing with boats? So we said if you try to come to Australia by boat, even if we think you are the best person in the world, even if you are a Noble [sic] Prize winning genius, we will not let you in". "I think it is a awful deal, a disgusting deal, that I would have never made", Mr Trump said. I will say I hate it.

'I have been making these calls all day and this is the most unpleasant call all day. Putin was a pleasant call.

Mr Turnbull then asked: 'Do you want to talk about Syria and DPRK?'


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