Standing up to Trump with Malcolm Turnbull

featuring Emma Shortis
Donald Trump speaking at CPAC 2011 in Washington, D.C.
Gage Skidmore/Flickr

Share

Former Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull joins the show to discuss how Australia should approach the second Trump presidency.

Malcolm Turnbull, Australia’s 29th Prime Minister, joins Dr Emma Shortis to discuss why sucking up to Trump will get Australian leaders nowhere and how the AUKUS “shocker” is making Australia more dependent on the United States, right at the time America is becoming less dependable.

This discussion was recorded on Friday 8 November 2024 US time and things may have changed since recording.

Guest: Malcolm Turnbull, the 29th Prime Minister of Australia // @TurnbullMalcolm

Host: Emma Shortis, Director of International & Security Affairs, the Australia Institute // @EmmaShortis

Show notes:

‘The Bad Guys: How to Deal with our Illiberal Friends’, Australian Foreign Affairs (October 2022)

Theme music: Blue Dot Sessions

Subscribe for regular updates from the Australia Institute.

We’d love to hear your feedback on this series, so send in your questions, comments or suggestions for future episodes to podcasts@australiainstitute.org.au.

Between the Lines Newsletter

The biggest stories and the best analysis from the team at the Australia Institute, delivered to your inbox every fortnight.

You might also like

Can Albanese claim ‘success’ with Trump? Beyond the banter, the vague commitments should be viewed with scepticism

by Emma Shortis

By all the usual diplomatic measures, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s meeting with US President Donald Trump was a great success. “Success” in a meeting with Trump is to avoid the ritual humiliation the president sometimes likes to inflict on his interlocutors. In that sense, Albanese and his team pulled off an impressive diplomatic feat. While there was one awkward

President of the United States Donald Trump speaking at the 2025 Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) at the Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center in National Harbor, Maryland.

Donald Trump cannot make the Epstein files go away. Will this be the story that brings him down?

by Emma Shortis

Conspiracy theories are funny things. The most enduring ones usually take hold for two reasons: first, because there’s some grain of truth to them, and second, because they speak to foundational historical divisions. The theories morph and change, distorting the grain of truth at their centre beyond reality. In the process, they reinforce and deepen

It shouldn’t be this difficult to condemn plans to commit a crime against humanity

by Ebony Bennett in The Canberra Times

Australians, by and large, have seen America as an ally critical to our national security. But in just a few short weeks, Donald Trump has shown his administration is a threat to Australia and the world’s security. Australia may not be able to stop Trump from creating chaos, but we will undermine our own security if we don’t stand up for ourselves and for our values.