Albo’s surprise call on Biden bow-out

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese says Australia has “been much more turbulent” than the US in recent years as leaders react to President Joe Biden’s shock resignation from the 2024 presidential race.

Biden, 81, announced on Monday he would be withdrawing as the Democratic Party’s candidate, instead endorsing two-time running mate and Vice President Kamala Harris to face former president Donald Trump.

In the midst of a presidential race already rocked by scandal and an assassination attempt on Mr Trump, Mr Albanese said the US “can look a little untidy” but Australia had also endured a “turbulent” few decades in politics.

“The US has, from time to time, gone through some turbulent times. But, what we know is that it’s a strong democratic nation and that it has consistently emerged from difficult times as a nation of strength,” he told RN Breakfast.

“I know that Australia certainly isn’t in a position, given what we went through with a decade of turbulent leadership. If I get re-elected as prime minister, that will be the first time that a prime minister has been re-elected after having served a full term since John Howard in 2004.

“So, we have certainly been much more turbulent than the United States has been over the last couple of decades.”

The claim comes as leaders around the globe pay tribute to the outgoing US President, a long-time stalwart of US politics of more than 50 years who signalled his intention to stay on as president until the November ballot.

Breaking from his holiday, Mr Albanese told the media in Cairns on Monday that he looked forward to meeting again with Mr Biden at the forthcoming G20 summit and APEC summit later this year.

He cited Mr Biden’s handling of the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine and the US economy post-pandemic among his achievements and wished the President well as he recovered at his Delaware home from Covid.

On Ms Harris’ candidacy, which will not formally be confirmed until the Democratic convention in August, Mr Albanese told RN Breakfast that he had met the Vice President but it was “a matter for the US” to decide.

“What is clear (…) is that the United States will have a new president come January, and that will be a matter for the people of the United States to express through the democratic process in November,” he said.

Opposition Leader Peter Dutton took to social media site X, formerly Twitter, on Monday to thank Mr Biden for his “service and leadership” as president, in particular for the launching of the AUKUS security pact.

“Like American presidents before him, Joe Biden has been a leader resolutely committed to the alliance. I thank the President for the support and abiding friendship he has shown to Australia,” Mr Dutton said.

In a statement, US ambassador and former prime minister Kevin Rudd urged a “pause to recognise and respect the difficult decision” Mr Biden had made and said US-Australia relations had “prospered” under his tenure.

The November election has been labelled by both major US parties as being the most important in decades but was thrown into chaos early on after calls grew for Mr Biden to step aside following the first presidential debate.

Mr Albanese said the race would be tightly watched by many Australians because “who the president on the US is has an impact on the world” and the US was an important security and economic ally to Australia.