Do you believe it? The Obama Administration agreed to take thousands of illegal immigrants from Australia. Why? I will study this dumb deal!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 2, 2017
Statement from the US Embassy in Canberra. Trump Whitehouse will honour the refugee deal. Wow. pic.twitter.com/atJqPpPe6T
— James Massola (@jamesmassola) February 2, 2017
Someone please tell White House Australia has more troops fighting ISIS in Iraq than any other ally + has fought at our side since WW2
— Andrea Mitchell (@mitchellreports) February 2, 2017
POTUS "conversations with foreign leaders are making their faces turn white," source says. https://t.co/697ikkk7nS
— Jim Acosta (@Acosta) February 2, 2017
The Washington Post reports: It should have been one of the most congenial calls for the new commander in chief — a conversation with the leader of Australia, one of America’s staunchest allies, at the end of a triumphant week.
Instead, President Trump blasted Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull over a refugee agreement and boasted about the magnitude of his electoral college win, according to senior U.S. officials briefed on the Saturday exchange. Then, 25 minutes into what was expected to be an hour-long call, Trump abruptly ended it.
At one point, Trump informed Turnbull that he had spoken with four other world leaders that day — including Russian President Vladimir Putin — and that “this was the worst call by far.”
Trump’s behavior suggests that he is capable of subjecting world leaders, including close allies, to a version of the vitriol he frequently employs against political adversaries and news organizations in speeches and on Twitter.
“This is the worst deal ever,” Trump fumed as Turnbull attempted to confirm that the United States would honor its pledge to take in 1,250 refugees from an Australian detention center.
Trump, who one day earlier had signed an executive order temporarily barring the admission of refugees, complained that he was “going to get killed” politically and accused Australia of seeking to export the “next Boston bombers.” [Continue reading…]
In an interview on Australia’s ABC 7.30, former foreign minister Bob Carr said that none of America’s allies should remain under any illusions about having a “special relationship” with the U.S. while it is led by a president whose only interest is to put “America first.”
How do you fuck up Britain and Australia. Those are the two easiest alliances we have. It's even the same fucking language.
— Max Fisher (@Max_Fisher) February 2, 2017
Serious problem: W/a Trump catastrophe every couple hours, it's tough to remember 3 catastrophes ago. Serious problems fade from memory.
— David Rothkopf (@djrothkopf) February 2, 2017
Australia and Canada are not independent states and should not be UN members. Their head of state is a foreigner.
You’ve probably never heard of the head of state in Canada: the Queen of Canada (aka Queen Elizabeth II). She isn’t just Canadian — she is Canada (whatever the hell that means).
Strangely, the issue of constitutional monarchs seems to vex those people who don’t have one more than those that do. That said, I’m sure the Canadians and Australians will have no difficulty dumping the monarchy whenever they see fit.
Of this much we can be certain: at that time, the British monarch will not send out a fleet to reclaim lost territory.
I also doubt very much that either newly declared republic will bother going to the expense of rushing out of circulation all their old currency just for the sake of flushing royal images out of their system.
In truth and seriously, Western monarchies receded far into the background as political entities long, long ago.