Between a new critical minerals deal, assurances over AUKUS, and a presidential trip down under in the pipeline, it's safe to say Anthony Albanese came out of his first formal meeting with Donald Trump pretty unscathed.
KARL STEFANOVIC, HOST: And the Prime Minister joins us now live from Washington, DC to discuss. And who's a happy camper, PM?
ANTHONY ALBANESE, PRIME MINISTER: Good morning. Well, it's a beautiful day here in Washington, D.C. and we've had a busy couple of days, I've got to say. And not much sleep, but lots of really important meetings, the most important of which was with President Trump where we came out with an $8.5 billion dollar deal on critical minerals and rare earths. That's about Australian jobs. It's about making more things between Australia and the United States. It's about our economic resilience. We've confirmed the overwhelming support for AUKUS and we'll do what we can to fast track some of that rollout. And we got on very well, I spent almost three hours with the President and then I had important meetings with the Treasury Secretary Bessent, had dinner last night with the Secretary of State, Marco Rubio and his team from the State Department. I've met with dozens of members of Congress today. It's all gone very well.
ABO: It was hit and run, right? You got so much done and there was so much build-up and anticipation ahead of this meeting. Were you yourself a bit nervous? I mean, the outcome seemed pretty set. All the documents were drawn up in that cabinet room, but anything can happen with Donald Trump.
PRIME MINISTER: Look, I've had such warm discussions with the President and we had a warm meeting in New York with Jodie and Melania being present there as well. I always thought it was going to go very well. The letter of invitation I had from President Trump couldn't have been warmer, and he's a friend of Australia. One of the things about us Australians are we just deal with people. We don't talk down to people, we don't talk up to people, we engage in a real way, in an authentic way - that's the way that I went into the meeting and President Trump and I got on very well. We had a couple of discussions in the Oval Office. We had a walk around the grounds looking at what he's doing with building the ballroom that's going to be in place there. And it was a terrific meeting, can't have gone better.
STEFANOVIC: All right. There was one element of it, of course. Geez, you gave Kevin Rudd up quick. He's over there, President.
PRIME MINISTER: Oh well, that was, you know, people focus on - well, it said something about the, sort of, suggestion somehow that there was this big issue with Kevin Rudd. You know, there's no reason - Ambassadors don't meet leaders. I don't meet with ambassadors, nor does President Trump. I tell you what though, Kevin Rudd has met every single member of Congress I think, and he is well liked on the Hill. He gets things done.
ABO: Yes. And I don't think anyone doubts the amount of groundwork he did and just how much he actually achieved. But being in that room, PM, it must have been so awkward.
PRIME MINISTER: Oh no, you know -
STEFANOVIC: A little bit?
PRIME MINISTER: It was pretty light-hearted was what it was. And President Trump said, you know, 'all is forgiven'. He volunteered that. Kevin said, 'oh, sorry about comments in the past', and they moved on and we spent time after that in the Oval Office. It says something about how important Australia places our relationship with the United States that we've appointed a former Prime Minister. That says something about the status that is important and that's recognised by all of the people who Kevin Rudd deals with now as Ambassador.
STEFANOVIC: Were you there when he apologised to the President? What did he say and what was the aftermath of that?
PRIME MINISTER: Yeah well, the President said, it was as people were walking out, the journos. President Trump said, he said he looks like a good guy, or something like that, a nice guy. And I say he is a nice guy, he's terrific - something like that. And he said, oh, all is forgiven. Kevin said, 'yeah, yeah, well sorry'. Like it was just, it was no big deal.
ABO: Sounds very flippant.
STEFANOVIC: Sounds like it's a family barbecue.
PRIME MINISTER: Yeah, exactly.
ABO: Ok, fair enough, fair enough.
STEFANOVIC: So, I guess he's staying then?
PRIME MINISTER: It is all good, you bet he is. We've appointed him for four years and he's doing a fantastic job. And I think it's a bit sad, frankly, that the Opposition, with these really serious things happening for our national security with the AUKUS agreement, the critical minerals deal, it means jobs, economic activity, and they of course have chosen, they had a choice - back in the national interest or play politics - and of course they've played politics as they tend to do. That's life, that's a decision for them. Maybe eventually they'll back the national interest on something, I await.
ABO: Look, there was quite a bit on your list to get done -
PRIME MINISTER: They have to stop fighting each other, though.
ABO: That's true. You had to throw that in there, didn't you? But listen, there was a big list for you to get through over there with the US President. Obviously tariffs, you didn't quite get to changing that deal at all in any way to favour Australia. But you did invite Donald Trump to Australia -
PRIME MINISTER: I did.
ABO: How does that look like? Is that likely to happen?
PRIME MINISTER: Well, he was very positive about it. He's got an open invitation to visit Australia. He's positive about Australians, he likes us, he engages with us, he knows how important the relationship is. We have been side by side for a long time now. During, it was another Labor Prime Minister, John Curtin, who during World War II said, 'We look to America', and that was our darkest hour. And we've been side by side before then, of course, in the First World War and other times. But America is a big investor in Australia, a big source of investment. We're major investors here in the United States as well. I've just been to an event at the embassy celebrating BHP's 140 years and we had the secretary responsible for industry there as well, speaking. So, the relationship is really in good shape and it can't have been more positive.
STEFANOVIC: Geez, I'd love - you're about to pack up and come home. You can't give us a cooee to the White House, can you?
ABO: Yes, do it. Do it.
PRIME MINISTER: Get across there. Well, there's a lot, what you can't see off camera is I'm not standing alone here in the park, let me tell you.
ABO: All the better, all the better. Go on.
STEFANOVIC: Albo's a security threat. Hey great, well done on everything. It's a huge deal for this country and a lot of work went on behind the scenes, so appreciate it. Safe travels.
PRIME MINISTER: Yeah, thanks so much. Always great to talk to you, particularly at this time early. Reminds me of those Friday mornings we used to spend together, Karl.
STEFANOVIC: He's getting nostalgia -
ABO: I know he is -
PRIME MINISTER: I look back longingly at those days.
ABO: You're standing in front of the White House. Why would you look back to those days?
STEFANOVIC: Don't interrupt the PM, Sarah.
PRIME MINISTER: I didn't say they were better than the current days. I just said I remember them and look back to them.
STEFANOVIC: Good to see you, PM. Safe travels.
ABO: Nice to see you, thanks.
