Anthony Albanese and Donald Trump met at a reception for world leaders in New York on Tuesday night, hours after confirming a formal meeting in Washington DC next month. The Australian prime minister posted a selfie with the US president on Instagram, captioning it: “Good to chat with President Donald Trump at US welcome reception for world leaders attending United Nations General Assembly.”
The White House confirmed the pair’s meeting for 20 October, marking Albanese’s third trip to the US in six months. The meeting was finalised after the prime minister was initially left off Trump’s schedule in New York this week. Discussions are expected to cover the Aukus nuclear submarine deal, defence spending targets, and US trade tariffs.
Trump’s UN address earlier on Tuesday criticised moves by allies including Australia to recognise Palestinian statehood, urging leaders to demand the return of hostages from Hamas. He also blasted climate change efforts as a “scam” and mocked carbon footprint measurements. Albanese said it was “good to hear his views” and described the speech as a privilege to attend.
Albanese and Foreign Minister Penny Wong represented Australia at the UN general assembly, where Trump also attacked migration policies and lamented the difficulty of ending the war in Ukraine. The 57-minute speech drew laughter and photos from leaders, with Trump insulting the UN and predecessors Barack Obama and Joe Biden.
