As Jacinda Ardern’s star was on the rise internationally after becoming Prime Minister, Vogue magazine labelled her the “anti-Trump”.
The article, accompanied by a now-famous image of Ardern donning a trench coat at Bethells Beach near Auckland, described her as “young, forward-looking and unabashedly liberal”.
The “anti-Trump” tag was less a comment on any specific policy of Ardern’s, but on her general progressive values in contrast to those of the US President’s.
While Ardern, then just an MP, had protested as part of a global women’s march the day after Donald Trump’s 2017 inauguration, she walked a diplomatic line when she became PM, apart from a few minor gaffes early on.
Despite that, the “anti-Trump” label stuck to her. Earlier this year, Ardern said she didn’t like it as she didn’t believe in one leader becoming “the point of comparison for all other leaders”.
But Trump’s impact on world events, his domineering style of diplomacy, and attention-grabbing media tactics make comparisons natural. He is not a boring person.
The Trump effect and his presence could be felt everywhere this week at the summits in Malaysia and South Korea.
His motorcades essentially shut down city centres, top international business leaders waited more than an hour in an auditorium to hear him speak, and his massive security contingent practically ran the show. The US’ colossal influence was evident anywhere you looked.
As soon as Trump left Malaysia, it seemed security at the Association of South-East Asia Nations (Asean) forum was dialled back significantly.
Guards at metal detectors suddenly became just visual deterrents, not really checking what was being brought in, despite other world leaders still being present.
The US President’s policy agenda was equally felt. His tariffs were probably the biggest issue of the week, consistently raised among the politicians.
Many of the Asian member economies have been amongst the hardest hit and tried to use Trump’s attendance to negotiate for better terms, in some cases successfully.
Trump also appeared mostly blind – or purposefully ignorant - to the disruption tariffs had caused the region. At an intimate dinner of world leaders, including Christopher Luxon, Trump bragged about much money was supposedly pumping into the US.
“We’ve done amazingly well. I don’t think there’s ever been anything like it. We’re over $17 trillion, probably up to $18t of investment,” he said.
Pity poor Luxon having to sit through that knowing the damage the tariffs did to New Zealand’s gross domestic product (GDP) in quarter two, and by extension, his efforts for 2025 to be all about “going for growth”.
At an Asia-Pacific Economic Co-operation (Apec) chief executives’ summit, Trump spoke of how tariffs were creating economic security for the US and that they’re now – apparently – widely welcomed.
“When I announced reciprocal tariffs last April, some people thought it was wonderful. Others really weren’t so sure. They weren’t sure. They didn’t understand tariffs because tariffs were used against us. We didn’t use tariffs and we do now.”
He said there are now “no critics left” and “the only critics are people that took advantage of us for many years and now they’re not able to do that”.
Luxon may have something to say about that.
Prior to leaving for Asia, the Prime Minister told the Herald that New Zealand had “different views on trade” to the US. He would use his time at Asean and Apec to reinforce the rules-based system, which had been so advantageous to a country like New Zealand.
Throughout the trip, Luxon repeatedly mentioned this as an objective, and, before leaving South Korea on Saturday, he said his message during the summits had been for countries to “speed it up” when it came to working together.
In that context of trade, the New Zealand leader could be considered an anti-Trump, at least in the sense that the two sides’ views on trade are at odds.
It’s a result of our national economic interest. Exports were worth $105 billion to New Zealand in the year to March.
New Zealand needs free, rules-based trading conditions, where countries can diplomatically hash out any emerging issues without firing potshots at each other on social media or arbitrarily raising tariffs.
Multilateral groups are seen to have extraordinary worth, giving us a platform to advocate for our values alongside far larger and richer countries that we may not be able to secure time with otherwise.
Trump may have said at the CEO summit that he was interested in making the trading system “fair and more sustainable for all of us”.
But he uses his tariffs as leverage, acting in what he perceives as the US’ national interest, just as Luxon does in New Zealand’s, but the two approaches do not align.
Trump also dismisses most opportunities to come together in large groups if the US is not in control or at the centre of proceedings.
While in both Malaysia and South Korea this week, the President didn’t attend either the main East Asia Summit or Apec sessions, despite the US being members of both. He sent underlings instead.
Trump met just a small select group of leaders and then flew out of both countries before the summits had really even begun.
At one event he did attend, the Wednesday night leaders’ dinner, only one leaders’ name was specifically mentioned on a banner as being honoured: “Special Dinner in honour of President Donald J Trump and State Leaders hosted by President Lee Jae Myung”.
New Zealand’s regard for a rules-based system, supported by the likes of the World Trade Organisation, is nothing new.
Politicians from both sides of the aisle have talked about it for time immemorial.
The current circumstances sharpen the contrast between the Kiwi and American sides. Having both Luxon and Trump talking trade at these events created a clear distinction between them on the world stage.
Luxon is personally passionate about this topic. His background before politics of travelling the world and interacting with businesses across markets has made him see the value of countries talking and co-operating to find commonality.
That’s not to say there aren’t similarities between him and Trump. There clearly was when they first met before the leaders’ dinner on Wednesday night.
Both leaders have the gift of the gab when it comes to small talk and can easily engage with whoever they converse with, which is handy at these international meet-ups.
In terms of policy, there were times during Trump’s CEO summit speech that you’d think he was the leader of New Zealand’s coalition Government.
“We have a President in the White House who cuts through the red tape and excuses,” Trump said. “We don’t stand for excuses and say yes to big ideas and bold initiatives and grand ambitions.”
It sounds a lot like Luxon’s State of the Nation speech from January when he called for an end to a culture of no, and more yes.
Resources Minister Shane Jones would have enjoyed Trump’s description of coal.
“What you can do with coal today is incredible. I call it ‘clean, beautiful’. I don’t use the word ‘coal’. It’s got a little bit of a problem, public relations-wise, the word. So we call it ‘clean, beautiful’. My Administration’s not allowed to use the word ‘coal’. They have to say ‘clean, beautiful coal’.”
If these summits are all about speed-dating as the cliche goes, Luxon may have formed some connection with Trump.
But their differences on trade - especially if Luxon raises them with the US President and pushes them in private as much as he does publicly - could be a barrier to the relationship getting much deeper.
Jamie Ensor is a senior political reporter for NZ Herald travelling with the Prime Minister in Asia this week.