‘Shut up’: Heated clash erupts live on TV over former PM’s explosive comments
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Australia's diplomatic balancing act is being put to the test as tensions rise over critical trade negotiations and political statements that could have far-reaching consequences.
A former prime minister's remarks have ignited a heated debate, drawing sharp reactions both at home and abroad.
Meanwhile, concerns are mounting over looming tariff decisions that could impact key Australian industries.
Malcolm Turnbull did not hold back in a fiery interview, condemning Donald Trump’s global influence while Australia’s tariff exemption hung in the balance.
During an appearance, Turnbull clashed with host Sally Sara, accusing the ABC of being ‘pusillanimous’—lacking courage—when it came to addressing Trump’s actions.
‘Is that really the state that we’ve got to? Surely we should be free to speak the truth,’ he said.
Sara pushed back, telling Turnbull not to ‘put words in my mouth’ as the discussion grew tense.
The former prime minister continued his criticisms later on, warning that political leaders were gaslighting voters by downplaying Trump’s threat.
‘If you suck up to bullies, whether it is global affairs, or in the playground, you just get more bullying,’ he said.
He argued that leaders had a duty to ‘speak truth to Trump’ rather than ‘become just a conga line of sycophants creeping through the White House, paying homage to this guy and telling him he’s a genius.’
His comments sparked controversy, with Today host Sarah Abo questioning whether Turnbull should stay out of the debate.
‘I mean, honestly, former prime ministers just need to shut up,’ she said.
She argued that his intervention came at the worst possible time, just as the government was negotiating tariff exemptions.
The issue dominated discussions on 11 March morning, when Abo challenged Nationals Senator Bridget McKenzie and Social Services Minister Amanda Rishworth on how the government was handling negotiations.
‘There’s one person that can get this done and it’s not sending your whipping boy Jim Chalmers over last week. It is actually about getting on the plane and getting this done,’ McKenzie said.
Rishworth dismissed the suggestion that the government was not taking the matter seriously, insisting that the Prime Minister was ‘working hard’ on securing an outcome.
Treasurer Jim Chalmers acknowledged the economic risks at play, warning that ‘we’ve got a lot at stake as Australians’ as global trade tensions escalated.
Trump’s response to Turnbull was swift and scathing, as he lashed out on social media, branding the former Australian leader ‘weak and ineffective.’
‘Malcolm Turnbull, the former prime minister of Australia who was always leading that wonderful country from “behind”, never understood what was going on in China, nor did he have the capacity to do so,’ Trump wrote.
Turnbull was undeterred, doubling down on his concerns about Trump’s leadership during an interview.
He accused Trump of trying to ‘extort allies’ through erratic behaviour, arguing that his approach only strengthened China’s influence.
‘Trump wants people to suck up to him, and to be sycophantic,’ he said.
‘Most of the people, pretty much all of the people I’ve seen, international leaders, that have sucked up to Trump and been sycophants, have been run over.’
He warned that Trump was ‘actively helping Putin in Ukraine’ and that his hostility towards allies would drive them closer to China.
‘Where Trump is rude and abusive…they’ll be respectful. They’ll play a very different game to what they did in the first Trump Administration,’ he said.
As negotiations over steel and aluminium tariffs continued, Turnbull was pessimistic about Australia’s chances of securing an exemption.
He noted that the government was using ‘exactly the same arguments’ he had in 2018 but questioned whether they would hold up under renewed scrutiny.
Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles remained hopeful, insisting that Australia’s trade relationship with the US justified an exemption.
‘We’ve been advocating very forcefully to the Trump administration about why it makes sense for there to be a carve-out for Australian steel and aluminium, Australian exports in general,’ he told Sky News.
With the 25 March budget approaching, pressure was mounting on the government to secure a favourable outcome before the tariffs took effect.
Turnbull, however, warned that Australia needed to rethink its reliance on the US, as Trump’s second term would be vastly different from his first.
‘You know, he’s surrounded by yes men, supporters. In the first Trump administration, he didn’t really expect to win,’ he said.
‘He wasn’t really prepared…he hired a lot of people that were not from his camp, or his MAGA movement, and they were trying to steer him in more conventional directions, but, you know, he hasn’t got that restraint now.’
‘This is a very different United States. Trump does not subscribe to the same values that we have in the past shared with America.’
With Trump poised to implement sweeping trade policies, Turnbull warned that a wave of protectionism would be ‘bad for business’ and that Australia needed a more independent strategy.
Listen to the audio recording of the exchange between Turnbull and Sara below.
Turnbull didn’t hold back in his criticism, warning that Trump’s actions could have serious global consequences. His full remarks offer even more insight into his concerns.
Watch the video below and let us know your thoughts in the comments.
With tensions rising over trade and diplomacy, do you think Australia should push back harder or play it safe?
Let us know your thoughts in the comments.
A former prime minister's remarks have ignited a heated debate, drawing sharp reactions both at home and abroad.
Meanwhile, concerns are mounting over looming tariff decisions that could impact key Australian industries.
Malcolm Turnbull did not hold back in a fiery interview, condemning Donald Trump’s global influence while Australia’s tariff exemption hung in the balance.
During an appearance, Turnbull clashed with host Sally Sara, accusing the ABC of being ‘pusillanimous’—lacking courage—when it came to addressing Trump’s actions.
‘Is that really the state that we’ve got to? Surely we should be free to speak the truth,’ he said.
Sara pushed back, telling Turnbull not to ‘put words in my mouth’ as the discussion grew tense.
The former prime minister continued his criticisms later on, warning that political leaders were gaslighting voters by downplaying Trump’s threat.
‘If you suck up to bullies, whether it is global affairs, or in the playground, you just get more bullying,’ he said.
He argued that leaders had a duty to ‘speak truth to Trump’ rather than ‘become just a conga line of sycophants creeping through the White House, paying homage to this guy and telling him he’s a genius.’
His comments sparked controversy, with Today host Sarah Abo questioning whether Turnbull should stay out of the debate.
‘I mean, honestly, former prime ministers just need to shut up,’ she said.
She argued that his intervention came at the worst possible time, just as the government was negotiating tariff exemptions.
The issue dominated discussions on 11 March morning, when Abo challenged Nationals Senator Bridget McKenzie and Social Services Minister Amanda Rishworth on how the government was handling negotiations.
‘There’s one person that can get this done and it’s not sending your whipping boy Jim Chalmers over last week. It is actually about getting on the plane and getting this done,’ McKenzie said.
Rishworth dismissed the suggestion that the government was not taking the matter seriously, insisting that the Prime Minister was ‘working hard’ on securing an outcome.
Treasurer Jim Chalmers acknowledged the economic risks at play, warning that ‘we’ve got a lot at stake as Australians’ as global trade tensions escalated.
Trump’s response to Turnbull was swift and scathing, as he lashed out on social media, branding the former Australian leader ‘weak and ineffective.’
‘Malcolm Turnbull, the former prime minister of Australia who was always leading that wonderful country from “behind”, never understood what was going on in China, nor did he have the capacity to do so,’ Trump wrote.
Turnbull was undeterred, doubling down on his concerns about Trump’s leadership during an interview.
He accused Trump of trying to ‘extort allies’ through erratic behaviour, arguing that his approach only strengthened China’s influence.
‘Trump wants people to suck up to him, and to be sycophantic,’ he said.
‘Most of the people, pretty much all of the people I’ve seen, international leaders, that have sucked up to Trump and been sycophants, have been run over.’
He warned that Trump was ‘actively helping Putin in Ukraine’ and that his hostility towards allies would drive them closer to China.
‘Where Trump is rude and abusive…they’ll be respectful. They’ll play a very different game to what they did in the first Trump Administration,’ he said.
As negotiations over steel and aluminium tariffs continued, Turnbull was pessimistic about Australia’s chances of securing an exemption.
He noted that the government was using ‘exactly the same arguments’ he had in 2018 but questioned whether they would hold up under renewed scrutiny.
Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles remained hopeful, insisting that Australia’s trade relationship with the US justified an exemption.
‘We’ve been advocating very forcefully to the Trump administration about why it makes sense for there to be a carve-out for Australian steel and aluminium, Australian exports in general,’ he told Sky News.
With the 25 March budget approaching, pressure was mounting on the government to secure a favourable outcome before the tariffs took effect.
Turnbull, however, warned that Australia needed to rethink its reliance on the US, as Trump’s second term would be vastly different from his first.
‘You know, he’s surrounded by yes men, supporters. In the first Trump administration, he didn’t really expect to win,’ he said.
‘He wasn’t really prepared…he hired a lot of people that were not from his camp, or his MAGA movement, and they were trying to steer him in more conventional directions, but, you know, he hasn’t got that restraint now.’
‘This is a very different United States. Trump does not subscribe to the same values that we have in the past shared with America.’
With Trump poised to implement sweeping trade policies, Turnbull warned that a wave of protectionism would be ‘bad for business’ and that Australia needed a more independent strategy.
Turnbull didn’t hold back in his criticism, warning that Trump’s actions could have serious global consequences. His full remarks offer even more insight into his concerns.
Watch the video below and let us know your thoughts in the comments.
With tensions rising over trade and diplomacy, do you think Australia should push back harder or play it safe?
Let us know your thoughts in the comments.
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