Foreign Minister Penny Wong has been mercilessly mocked for cosying up to senior figures in President Donald Trump‘s new White House team.
The long-serving Labor senator, who is a member of the party’s left faction, has been in Washington DC as the Australian government’s representative at Trump’s inauguration in the Capitol Rotunda.
It was a major coup given Senator Wong was the first Australian Foreign Minister to ever be invited to a Presidential inauguration and leaders from economic powerhouses such as France and Germany did not score an invitation.
She told the ABC it was an ‘honour and a privilege’ to be there, adding on X that the initiation ‘reflects the steadfast alliance between our nations’.
‘The United States is Australia’s closest ally,’ she wrote on X.
‘I look forward to working together with the new Administration to deliver on our shared interests.’
But Senator Wong’s attendance was criticised by Opposition Leader Peter Dutton, who questioned her suitability as Australia’s representative in the US.
‘She’s there as the best friend that Donald Trump has ever had. I mean, is that credible?’ Mr Dutton told a Liberal Party rally on Tuesday.
The long-serving Labor senator, who is a member of the party’s left faction, has been in Washington DC as the Australian government’s representative at Trump’s inauguration in the Capitol Rotunda (pictured: Foreign Minister Penny Wong shaking Marco Rubio’s hand, the new US secretary of state)
But Senator Wong’s attendance was criticised by Opposition Leader Peter Dutton (pictured), who questioned her suitability as Australia’s representative in the US
‘Have I missed something or was Penny Wong always a strong opponent and hater of Donald Trump – and now somehow she’s a great champion of the Trump administration?
‘It’s a government of incompetence and frauds.’
However Labor supporters have praised the high level of access she has achieved in the President’s first few days.
Ms Wong was pictured pressing the flesh with Marco Rubio, who was confirmed as President Trump’s Secretary of State on Monday.
She told reporters in Washington that the meeting was ‘very warm and constructive’.
‘We spoke about our shared interest and ambition, the strength of our alliance, the importance of our economic partnership, the work we’re doing together with the United Kingdom through AUKUS, and of course critical minerals which has been an issue that he and the President have spoken about,’ she said.
The Foreign Minister also linked up with Australia’s controversial Ambassador to the US, Kevin Rudd, to meet the new President’s national security advisor, Mike Waltz where they discussed ‘our shared interests when it comes to security and economic prosperity’.
In addition to meeting Mr Rubio, Senator Wong has also met with other leaders of ‘the Quad’: India’s external Affairs Minister Dr Subrahmanyam Jaishankar and Japanese Foreign Minister Iwaya Takeshi (pictured)
‘I was really pleased to meet him so early. In fact, we had such an early meeting, the moving van was still in the driveway at the West Wing when we came out of our meeting,’ Senator Wong added.
Senator Wong was asked if Ambassador Rudd’s tenure was discussed in her meeting with Mr Rubio but she said it ‘did not come up’.
Mr Rudd has been heavily criticised for past critical comments about Trump, with one of the new President’s top aides suggesting that he would not last long in the role.
‘It’s high level access on day one of a new administration,’ commented the ABC’s Global Affairs Editor John Lyons.
‘It flies in face of those who said Australia and Rudd would be frozen out.’
Sky News host Rita Panahi claimed she saw ‘Leftie fools Kevin Rudd and Penny Wong trying to cosy up to Vivek Ramaswamy at the Starlight Ball’, the official inaugural ball after Trump was sworn in.
Mr Ramaswamy was lined up to co-lead President Trump’s red-tape busting ‘Department of Government Efficiency’ with Elon Musk but bowed out.
It has been reported that Mr Ramaswamy intends to run for Ohio governor instead.
Disability advocate and Head of Policy at Advocacy for Inclusion, Craig Wallace, was critical of Senator Wong’s inroads with the new administration.
‘I don’t know about you but there is something especially small and egregious about the way Anthony Albanese and Penny Wong are trying so hard to grovel and bend the knee to Trump while all this is happening – Labor have lost their moral compass,’ he wrote on X.
In addition to meeting Mr Rubio, Senator Wong has also met with other leaders of ‘the Quad’, India’s external Affairs Minister Dr Subrahmanyam Jaishankar and Japanese Foreign Minister Iwaya Takeshi.