Australia and the Unites States have been allies for almost a century. To commemorate the Battle of the Coral Sea, where hundreds of American and Australian soldiers gave their lives in fighting the Islamic State, the two countries hold a celebration. This party celebrates the partnership between the countries as well as marks their acknowledgment of the lives lost.
This year’s celebration was held on Thursday whereby President Donald Trump hosted Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull in New York. The two were supposed to meet in a Manhattan hotel but instead held a meeting aboard the USS Intrepid, a WW2 aircraft carrier.
President Trump was delayed for the meeting by the legislation of a health care bill in Washington. The Republican Healthcare bill had just made it through the House of Representatives, and Mr. Trump stayed behind to laud the GOP members. After that President Trump boarded Airforce One and made his way to New York City, where he has not been since his election into office.
New York did not welcome President Trump with open arms. Not surprising if you consider that less than twenty percent had voted for him during the 2016 elections. As President Trump navigated through the city, protestors called for his immediate exodus. The protestors even tried confronting his entourage at the Trump Towers. When President Trump got to the meeting on the USS Intrepid the Australian PM appeared unfazed by his delay though.
What most people wanted to observe was how President Trump and PM Turnbull would behave toward each after their infamous telephone call. Both leaders brushed it off when the question came up. While PM Turnbull smiled and said that the two countries were ‘long-standing allies,’ Mr. Trump labeled the call ‘fake news’ and claimed that it had been blown out of proportion by the media. “We had a great call,” he stated.
The call in question had been about the US-Australia agreement signed off on by the Obama administration that stipulated that 1,200 Australian migrants would be allowed into the US. Previous reports claimed that President Trump had called the agreement a ‘dumb deal, ‘ but on Thursday Mr. Trump remarked that he had long since agreed to honor the deal. “It has been worked out for a long time now,” Trump declared.
Among priority talking points for the meeting between the two leaders was the North Korean crisis. While no information was released about whether talked over the Asian nation, PM Turnbull met with Pacific Command Harry Harris, therefore, speculation is that it may have arisen as the two leaders spoke.
Mr. Turnbull is also said to have brought up the Trans-Pacific trade agreement and the US’s exodus from it. The first trade policy that the US currently operates under has a significant impact on the Australian economy.
Other issues that were addressed during Thursday’s celebration include trade, economics, and national security for both countries as well as migration issues. Trump gave a speech at the Battle of the Coral Sea commemoration party saying that he loves Australia and intends to ‘visit this beautiful place in the world’ during his presidency.
