Posted on 02/02/2017 12:47:27 PM PST by naturalman1975
US President Donald Trump is still talking tough about allies but instead of Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull in his sights, he is turning up the heat on Barack Obama for negotiating the Manus Island and Nauru refugee deal.
Mr Trump said on Thursday he loves Australia and will honour the deal struck by his predecessor but only refugees who pass extreme vetting will be allowed into the US.
"If a previous administration does something you have to respect that but you can also say 'Why are we doing this?'" Mr Trump, speaking to reporters before a meeting at the White House with US steelworkers, said.
Mr Trump questioned the refugee agreement in his blunt, exclamation-laden style on Twitter on Wednesday night when he described it as "a dumb deal!"
This was after the Washington Post reported what was allegedly a volatile weekend phone call between Mr Trump and Mr Turnbull.
The article, Mr Trump's reported treatment of Mr Turnbull and more inflammatory comments at a Washington DC prayer breakfast on Thursday morning about Australia and other allies had some analysts predicting the strong alliance could be damaged.
Later in the day Mr Trump eased his rhetoric about Australia.
"I have a lot of respect for Australia," he said at the steelworkers' meeting.
"I love Australia as a country but I have a problem where for whatever reason president Obama said they were going to take probably well over 1000 illegal immigrants who were in prisons."
Mr Trump said the initial potential number of refugees could be 1250 but questioned whether it "could be 2000, could be more than that and I said 'Why? Why are we doing this?'"
(Excerpt) Read more at news.com.au ...
A lot of Americans are probably unaware of Malcolm Turnbull's history (well, a lot of Americans would be unaware of Malcolm Turnbull's existence - though less now than a couple of days ago).
While he is not quite in President Trump's league financially, he is nonetheless an extremely successful and wealthy businessman. He established one of Australia's first successful ISPs in the 1990s, and has a net worth in the hundreds of millions of dollars - not a billionaire, but a very wealthy businessman nonetheless.
I would assume President Trump is aware of this - he certainly would have been given a briefing - and because of that I can see a conversation between the two men being different than the typical conversation between two national leaders. Both are rich men used to doing deals and tough talking and negotiation. And being blunt about such things.
In that type of context, I can certainly see President Trump being perfectly willing to say that he thought the deal that was made between Australia and the previous administration was a dumb deal, a bad deal, without it being intended as any sort of insult towards Mr Turnbull or Australia. Something along the lines of "Well done. You got Obama to agree to this dumb deal. You outsmarted him and left me with a mess. Well played. But you know won't be able to do it to me, don't you?"
Tough talking doesn't have to be hostile - not when you are dealing with somebody else who is used to the cut and thrust of business dealings worth massive amounts of money. It's business.
No!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Bring them straight to GITMO.
It'll be s step up for them, but they won't be loose in our society.
That’s an interesting take. And I think Aussies are much more blunt than our more devious British friends.
I’m sure he does , but he does not respect , nor feel like he needs to stand by any last minute extra-legal ‘agreements’ made between Australia’s new nutball PM and the late Barack Obama
Bring them straight to GITMO.
No... We can set up a special immigration camp in Syria just for them.
Look does ANYONE think it makes any sense for the US to accept refugees that Australian is rejecting?
That makes no sense when Australia rejecting them as unacceptable to enter their country then why should we then take their Rejects??!!??
The US has lower standard??
Bring them straight to GITMO.
No... We can set up a special immigration camp in Syria just for them.
Take them from Australia and straight to Syrian refugee camp.
Dang, no do not honor this deal.
“but only refugees who pass extreme vetting will be allowed into the US.”
****
No worries. I had the same apprehension but they will have to face stricter laws now. I would prefer to kick them out of a plane once on American airspace but that’s me..
It’s called “winning”!
It’s called “winning”!
Good post.
That’s a big problem here - a lot of our pundits have a background as academics or political wonks or merely writers, and don’t have a clue as to the business world, what it’s like to negotiate a deal, and so forth.
They have this silly notion that if each party in a negotiation tries their best to negotiate the best deal for their own side, then it must be because they hate or dislike the other party.
No. But the reason why Australia is refusing to allow these people entry to Australia is very specific and relates to one particular issue only that does not apply to the United States. I don't think that's very well understood in the US.
This is a very specific circumstance.
That doesn't mean America should take the people - I don't think you should - but the reason Australia won't take them is Australian specific. I've explained it numerous times on various threads over the last few days. Right at this moment, I don't have time to cut and paste all of that again, but I can come back to it in a little while if you want.
If we can trade illegal immigrants can we sell them? Imagine some poor smuck who made it from Honduras riding the Mexican death train hoping to see his home boys gets shipped to Australia instead.
Is the new PM leftist?
I see the problem with the Muslim boat people the same as or illegal alien issues on our southern border. They will only set more Muslims boating over.
Why would Muslims willingly leave a Muslim country to go where they are not wanted? Must have pretty nefarious reasons.
The Aussies must take care of their own border problem!
We do not want Obama’s planned radical Islamic invasion force!
Obama said they were going to take probably well over 1000 illegal immigrants who were in prisons.”
_________________________________
For illegal entry or for further crimes ???
I thought these were suppose to be “refugees” ???
Now they might well think that they could get into the USA instead and will start arriving again. Trump is doing both countries a favor by making a stink about it.
since Australia is rejecting them why isn’t the UN and the lefties in Ausie screaming bloody H ???
Australia should figure out which country they are from and put them in boats in international waters just outside their country of origin’s waters.
Don’t forget the oars!
End of problem.
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