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It started with a bang. A cameraman collided with a large mirror on the wall opposite Donald Trump in the White House Cabinet Room, and he noticed immediately.
“Ooh, you got to watch that,” Trump cautioned. “You’re not allowed to break that, that mirror’s 400 years old.”
US President Donald Trump was completely in his element during the question and answer session with journalists.Credit: AP
Then, for those who weren’t aware what had happened, Trump explained: “A camera just hit the mirror. Aye aye aye. I just moved it up here special from the vaults, and first thing that happens, a camera hits it.”
Trump is a creature of television, and a natural. Just before the meeting started, he was checking with the cameras to make sure they were in the correct position, like a Hollywood director might arrange a film shoot.
This is a man for whom visuals, and image, are next to godliness. And Anthony Albanese was sure to commend Trump on his taste, thanking the president for a tour of the “improved Oval Office”, which is now decked out in gold bling.
The travelling Australian press pack had been expecting, and eagerly awaiting, a face-to-face encounter in the Oval. So there was a streak of disappointment when, instead, we filed into the Cabinet Room. Still impressive, but lacking the full pomp and splendour of the West Wing’s most famous room.
On the Australian side, Albanese’s squad included ambassador to the US Kevin Rudd – who was about to play a starring role – along with Resources Minister Madeleine King, Industry Minister Tim Ayres, PM&C chief Steven Kennedy, the PM’s chief of staff Tim Gartrell and his communications director Fiona Sugden.
On the opposite side: Vice President JD Vance, War Secretary Pete Hegseth, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Interior Secretary Doug Burgum, Navy Secretary John Phelan and chief-of-staff Susie Wiles. Other than Trump, Albanese, Phelan and, when cornered, Rudd, no one spoke.
I was standing in roughly the centre of the room, directly behind Rudd. I could read the lunch menu over his shoulder; an entrée of “fall green salad” with sunset tomatoes and “White House honey dressing”, a main of rosemary roast chicken with celery root purée, asparagus, collard greens and a Dijon sauce.
Dessert was “Red Bartlett pear pavlova”, served with candied ginger ice cream and a berry compote. The review from one lunch guest: “Very good.”
The menu for Anthony Albanese’s lunch with US President Donald Trump.
I’ve watched many Trump news conferences, and been in the room with him several times. There are days when he seems visibly uninterested, or appears to be going through the motions with the guest of honour.
This was not one of those occasions. Trump sounded genuinely interested in the subject matter, and he was especially warm toward Albanese. When he said of the US’s friendship with Australia that “there’s never been anybody better”, you believed him.
Trump’s keen engagement was all the more meaningful when you consider he is also dealing with a fragile ceasefire in Gaza, the Russia-Ukraine war and an ongoing shutdown of the federal government at home.
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Of course, the love-in was momentarily halted when Sky News’ Andrew Clennell inquired about Rudd’s past comments describing Trump as destructive, a “village idiot” and a traitor to the West. Most of the room knew Rudd was sitting right there at the table, but Trump, for 15 excruciating seconds, probed the matter without realising this monstrous critic was in the room.
Albanese pointed at Rudd, who guiltily raised his hand. “I don’t like you either,” Trump said to Rudd. “And I probably never will.” Nearly everyone in the room laughed - War Secretary Pete Hegseth especially seemed to love it - but it was not clear from his tone if he was being serious or not.
We were told the two later cleared the air, and Trump said all was forgiven. Based on the dynamic and the body language I witnessed, I believe that.
I’m not sure I’ll be so lucky. Trump called me a “nasty guy”, for reasons that are unclear. Perhaps he did not like my attempts to force through an extra question about his relationships with various Australian prime ministers. Fair cop; no biggie.
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He also admonished another Australian reporter, The Nightly’s Latika Bourke, for a fair question on the war in Ukraine, insinuating she didn’t know anything about the conflict. It was a reminder that even when Trump is enjoying himself, and under relatively little pressure, he has no tolerance for the slightest criticism or doubt.
By the time the press were finally ushered out, it felt like an eternity. Trump had ticked off all the greatest hits – “the US is the hottest country in the world”, “I’ve ended eight wars”, “Biden was the worst president ever” – and there was really nothing left to say.
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