Albanese-Trump meeting LIVE updates: PM set to meet US president in Washington

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Why this bilateral still carries risks

The opposition has criticised Albanese for taking until October to meet Trump for bilateral talks despite the president being inaugurated in January, but others have questioned the rush.

World leaders have had a mixed reception at the White House, including Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who was berated during his first visit before a more positive return, and Ramaphosa, who was confronted with unfounded claims of a genocide of Afrikaner farmers. More conservative leaders such as Italy’s Giorgia Meloni have had friendly meetings.

 Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, US President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance during a disastrous meeting in the Oval Office in February.

From left: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, US President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance during a disastrous meeting in the Oval Office in February.Credit: Bloomberg

When news broke last month that Albanese had finally secured a meeting, foreign affairs correspondent Matthew Knott wrote that while essential and overdue, the bilateral was still laden with risk.

Trump could put Albanese in an awkward spot by firing up over issues ranging from recognition of Palestine, to climate change, tariffs and mass migration.

Anger over Australia’s Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme, defence spending and social media regulations could provide other potential flare-ups, he says.

Read the full story here

Video: AUKUS pact, minerals top of PM’s agenda

US correspondent Michael Koziol provides his commentary on what Anthony Albanese will be hoping to achieve from his Oval Office meeting with Donald Trump today.

Watch here:

The cards Albanese can play to keep Trump onside

While AUKUS is a focus, Michael Koziol says Albanese also comes armed with a goodie bag of critical minerals, new defence spending and superannuation money intended to sate the US president’s desires.

“What have we got to offer? Shitloads,” says Kim Beazley, a former Labor leader, defence minister and ambassador to the US.

But the long-awaited face-to-face encounter has brewed a narrative from some that Australia is on the back foot, losing favour in Washington and fearful of what might transpire in the Oval Office.

Anthony Albanese arrives in Washington, DC.

Anthony Albanese arrives in Washington, DC.Credit: AAPIMAGE

Publicly, the government is projecting confidence. It is convinced AUKUS will survive Trump’s “America First” review intact, and knows it has a compelling offer to make on critical minerals at a time when the US is desperate to find alternative suppliers to China.

Privately, though, some are anxious about what could happen when Albanese comes face to face with the highly transactional, notoriously impulsive Trump.

Avoiding a “Zelensky moment”, or the humiliation of South Africa’s Cyril Ramaphosa, is a top priority.

Read more of the story here

‘Australia is really, really going to be helpful’: Trump’s senior adviser

By Michael Koziol

A short time ago, one of Trump’s senior advisers made some comments at the White House about the Australian visit.

Kevin Hassett, the director of the White House National Economic Council, praised Australia’s mining industry and the country’s capacity to help dismantle China’s stranglehold on the world’s supply of critical minerals.

He said the US was not looking for Australia to decouple from China, but to help de-risk the global economy.

“I don’t think the president believes that decoupling is the right answer. As [Treasury] Secretary [Scott] Bessent says, it’s all about de-risking,” Hassett said.”

“Australia is really, really going to be helpful in the effort to take the global economy and make it less risky, less exposed to the kind of rare earth extortion that we’re seeing from the Chinese.

“One of the best mining economies on earth and the smartest and most capable refiners are in Australia, and they’ve got lots and lots of rare earths. I think there’ll be a lot of conversation about that matter today.”

Any deals or announcements to come from the meeting would be up to Trump and Albanese, he said.

Kevin Hassett, director of the National Economic Council, speaks to the media outside the White House on Monday.

Kevin Hassett, director of the National Economic Council, speaks to the media outside the White House on Monday.Credit: Bloomberg

Sunny skies for Albanese’s White House visit

By Michael Koziol

Hello from the White House in Washington. I’m here awaiting othe arrival of Prime Minister Anthony Albanese for his Oval Office meeting with US President Donald Trump.

Despite earlier predictions of rain, it has turned out to be a lovely day in the US capital - sunny, clear and currently 13 degrees.

The PM spent the night at Blair House, the official guest house for state visitors, just across the road from the White House. The president’s schedule is as expected which means the meeting will start just after 11am.

What’s on the cards for Albanese’s trip?

After arriving in Washington, Albanese spent the night at Blair House, the official residence for state visitors located across the road from the White House.

He is due to meet Trump at the Oval Office at 11am Monday, Washington time (2am Tuesday AEDT) for a bilateral meeting and lunch, with a press conference expected afterwards.

The following day, he will attend an event with the Friends of Australia Caucus in the US Congress, and then a lunch at the Australian embassy hosted by BHP to mark the mining giant’s 140th anniversary.

There he will meet US Interior Secretary Doug Burgum, who is also director of the National Energy Dominance Council, and David Copley, a former mining executive who now looks after the Trump administration’s critical minerals supply chain push on the National Security Council.

Striking an agreement for the US to buy critical minerals from Australia is expected to be one of Albanese’s top priorities at the White House.

Read more about the mooted critical minerals plan here

Trump touts ‘great relationship’ with Albanese

The White House has foreshadowed a warm and positive meeting between the pair that will focus on the core interests of national and economic security.

“President Trump and Prime Minister Albanese have a great relationship,” White House spokeswoman Anna Kelly said on Monday.

North America correspondent Michael Koziol reports that Trump is expected to use the meeting to discuss regional efforts to combat Chinese economic coercion and military aggression, with administration officials last week challenging allies, including Australia, to help fight Beijing’s stranglehold on the global critical minerals supply chain.

A US official with knowledge of AUKUS and defence relationships, who is not authorised to speak publicly, said they did not anticipate any significant changes to the defence pact inked in 2021.

“Especially given what’s going on in China, we want our friends, like Australia, to have the resources they need to protect themselves. We need our allies,” the official told this masthead.

“It means that Australia has to be a priority. There has been no indication so far that we’d be looking to withdraw from [AUKUS]. Those are just not conversations that are happening.”

Read more on this story here

Good morning

Good morning, and thank you for joining our live coverage of Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s trip to the US to meet with US President Donald Trump.

This is Albanese’s seventh visit to America as prime minister, and will be his sixth interaction with Trump – if you count four phone calls and last month’s handshake and selfie at the United Nations in New York. But it will be his first in-person bilateral meeting with the president.

Albanese will be seeking to gain Australia a reprieve from import tariffs on exports including steel and aluminium. Upholding the AUKUS military pact, which is currently being reviewed by powerful Pentagon official Elbridge Colby, leveraging Australia’s role in supplying the West with critical minerals, and the US-China contest will also be on the agenda.

Albanese touched down in Washington, DC, late on Sunday (Monday lunchtime AEDT) and was greeted by Australia’s US ambassador, Kevin Rudd.

“Australia’s national interest is at the heart of everything we do,” the PM posted on X. “We’ll work hard here to create benefits for Australians back home, from regional security to trade and investment.”

Stay tuned for updates throughout the morning.

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