Issues looming in Australia-US relationship

The Albanese government is reacting to Donald Trump’s historic White House comeback, with Penny Wong playing down chemistry concerns with the incoming administration.

Mr Trump claimed victory over Kamala Harris after locking in the 270 electoral votes required to clinch the presidency on Wednesday (local time)

At reporting, Mr Trump secured 295 electoral votes to the incumbent Vice President’s 226.

The Foreign Minister on Thursday congratulated President-elect Trump and said she looked forward to “working with him”.

“It certainly was a decisive victory and we look forward to working with him,” Senator Wong told the ABC.

“We are an alliance based on our values and history and shared strategic objectives it’s a timeless alliance.”

She brushed off a question about an unearthed video from 2017 showing Prime Minister saying he was scared of Mr Trump.

The video shows Mr Albanese’s appearance at a Q&A at Splendour in the Grass when he was serving as Labor’s transport and infrastructure spokesman while in opposition.

“We have an alliance with the US, we’ve got to deal with him, but that doesn’t mean that you’re uncritical about it,” he said at that the time.

“He (Trump) scares the sh*t out of me and I think it’s of some concern the leader of the free world thinks that you can conduct politics through 140 characters on Twitter overnight.”

But Senator Wong said Australia’s relationship with the US was “an alliance that is bigger than any one individual past comment”.

“What it is about is…shared interests,” she said.

“We both want a stable region, a peaceful region, and we look forward to work being Mr Trump, President Trump and the new administration on those objectives.”

Mr Albanese has confirmed he held a phone call with Mr Trump on Thursday morning to congratulate him on his win.

Senator Wong also reaffirmed her support for Australia’s ambassador to the US, Kevin Rudd.

Questions have been looming over Mr Rudd’s future as Australia’s envoy in a second Trump presidency because of past criticisms of the Republican.

The former Labor prime minister has called Mr Trump “nuts”, the “most destructive president in history” and a “traitor to the West”.

Mr Trump has called Mr Rudd “nasty” and “not the brightest bulb”.

“If he’s at all hostile, he will not be there long,” the former president said in an interview earlier this year.

Senator Wong praised the Australian ambassador’s performance, crediting him with much of the diplomatic leg work around AUKUS.

“Mr Rudd has been doing an outstanding and excellent job as ambassador and … he has worked with both Republicans and Democrats,” she said.

“He’s a very effective ambassador and we will … continue to ensure he works with both Democrats and Republicans.

“He’s delivered a lot for the country in the period since he’s been ambassador.”

Mr Rudd has congratulated Mr Trump on his victory, posting on X that Australia and the US were “bound by a history of shared values, shared sacrifice and shared opportunity.”