Donald Trump’s recent testy confrontation with John Lyons, the ABC’s Americas Editor, at the White House. In a moment that has received lots of specific interest, Trump chastised Lyons for “hurting Australia” during their conversation. This confrontation took place as the former president was under fire for his non-presidential business dealings, which Lyons tried to probe further on.
Photo by Evgeny Atamanenko Trump has been saying that Australia is lining up to establish strong relations with him. He is even willing to talk with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese. Tellingly, Trump promised to report any engagement he would have had with Lyon back to Albanese, showing just how escalated the matter had gotten.
A Heated Exchange
At one point during the exchange, Trump lashed out at Lyons’ questions about his past business practices, creating a heated scene. When Lyons asked his follow-up questions, Trump shouted him down with a sharp “Be quiet.” Trump’s displeasure with the subject of questioning was palpable. This is an issue that has caused a big rift in leading coverage of his presidency.
Trump’s Wealth and Business Ventures
In the shadows of this culture clash is Trump’s unexpected – for many, unbelievable – financial success while in office. Forbes writes that thanks to the real estate bubble, Trump’s fortune exploded from $4.3 billion to $7.3 billion in a single year. That’s a mind boggling jump of $3 billion! Numerous U.S. media outlet investigations have concluded that Trump’s net wealth grew substantially while serving as president.
While discussing his business dealings, Trump remarked, “Well, I don’t know if the deals I made, for the most part — other than what my kids are doing, you know, they’re running my business — but most of the deals that I’ve made were made before.” This statement underscores his deep connections to his business empire. It highlights the challenges of its operations under his time in office.
Future Engagements with Australia
Despite the heightened recent tensions, Trump has been in regular contact with Prime Minister Albanese. Prior to their recent meeting, since Trump’s re-election the two leaders had only communicated over the phone four times. They’ve already addressed key issues such as U.S. tariffs on Australian products and the new AUKUS security partnership. No, they still haven’t met in person since their election wins.
Albanese’s visit comes ahead of a hugely significant Meeting of the UN General Assembly in New York. This trip seems to have opened the door for a possible meeting with Trump himself. Many observers see this meeting as pivotal to establishing a new trajectory in Australia–United States relations. Recent press, advocacy and litigation efforts have raised the stakes even further.
