“Well, I’m really not,” Trump replied.
“My kids are running the business.”
Trump then asked Lyons where he was from, prompting the senior journalist to reveal that he was with the ABC.
“The Australians – you’re hurting Australia right now,” Trump said.
“In my opinion, you are hurting Australia very much right now.
“They want to get along with me. You know your leader is coming over to see me very soon.
“I’m going to tell him about you. You set a very bad tone.”
Lyons tried to get another question in but Trump shut him down by barking: “Quiet.”
The Australian Prime Minister will head to New York this month for the United Nations General Assembly.
It was always likely Albanese would finally get his elusive face-to-face with Trump on the sidelines, but the US leader’s remarks are the most concrete indication to date.
‘Intended’: Canberra holds off confirming
Even after Trump’s comments, the Albanese Government has been hesitant to confirm a meeting.
Summits are messy affairs, with world leaders and high-level officials all scrambling to squeeze in 15 minutes with each other.
Clare O’Neill was the first minister to front media today, appearing on Seven’s Sunrise opposite senior Coalition senator Bridget McKenzie.
The Housing Minister said a meeting has always been “intended”, noting Albanese and Trump are “two incredibly busy people”.
“They’ve had a series of phone calls and of course we’ve got that really long and rich relationship between the two countries,” O’Neill said.
She also backed Lyons, saying that “Australian journalists ask really tough questions”.
“That’s a part of the really strong democracy we have here and I think Donald Trump got asked some of those tough questions and it’s something that we see in the Australian media,” she said.
“So I think the journalists are there to try to keep politicians accountable and they’re entitled to ask difficult questions.”
McKenzie also backed Lyons, calling the meeting’s confirmation “the scoop of year”.
“There’s nothing wrong journalists asking tough questions,” the Coalition senator said.
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