Malcolm Turnbull delivers scathing one-word insult to the ABC – as fallout over Trump stoush raises fears of drastic tariff repercussions

Malcolm Turnbull has slammed the ABC, accusing the national broadcaster of being ‘pusillanimous’, as the fallout of his vicious spat with Donald Trump threatens Australia’s chances of an exemption from trade tariffs.

The US President used his Truth Social platform to attack Mr Turnbull as a ‘weak and ineffective leader’ on Monday after the former Liberal leader told this publication that Australia can’t rely on the US to defend us against China. 

The former Australian Prime minister inflamed the situation by telling Bloomberg TV on Monday that Trump was ‘ chaotic, rude, abrasive and erratic’.

But Mr Turnbull has since doubled down, now taking aim at the ABC by describing it as ‘pusillanimous’, which means to show a lack of courage.

Radio National host Sally Sara asked Mr Turnbull whether he thought his comments had been ‘reckless’ in a week when Australia was hoping to secure trade exemptions from punitive US tariffs, which are due to come into force on Thursday.

‘Sally, I’m a little bit concerned by the way you raised this too. Sarah Ferguson (7.30 host) did the same thing last night,’ Mr Turnbull responded.

‘It troubles me. Both of you, distinguished journalists on the ABC, are you suggesting that we should engage in self-censorship in Australia for fear of offending the huge ego of Donald Trump?’

‘Is that really the state that we’ve got to? Surely we should be free to speak the truth or are we going to muzzle ourselves for fear of offending Mr Trump?’

Ms Sara tried a different tack, asking the former Liberal leader whether it was ‘wise’ to inflame the President in such a pivotal week for Australia’s national interest.

‘Really, Sally, is this where we’ve got? Has the ABC become so pusillanimous that you are seriously suggesting that we shouldn’t be free to speak the truth in Australia for fear of Donald Trump?

‘Is that the depths you’ve sunk to?’ 

Mr Turnbull then harangued the ABC host, telling her: ‘It really troubles me, I believe in the ABC, I believe in freedom of speech, I believe in Australia and I believe in standing up for Australia and I’m sorry (that) apparently you don’t.’

But Ms Sara shot back: ‘Don’t put words in my mouth, with respect’. 

The interview then descended into an near-shouting match, as both Ms Sara and Mr Turnbull fought to speak over each other. 

Regaining composure, Mr Turnbull then claimed he believed the chances of Australia securing a trade exemption were ‘very, very low’. 

‘The Trump administration regrets giving exemptions last time because once they gave an exemption to Australia then they ended up having to give an exemption to somebody else… so I think this time there will be no exemptions and they will apply right across the board,’ he added. 

He further described Trump as a ‘bully who seeks to achieve dominance’.  

Mr Turnbull, who was in power during Trump’s first term in the White House, told Daily Mail Australia on Monday that the US may not defend Australia militarily in the event of China attacking our shores – in the wake of Chinese live-fire naval exercises off the east coast of Australia.

‘You cannot assume anything about Donald Trump – it’s part of his brand to be unpredictable,’ Mr Turnbull said.

‘Yes, he’s very transactional. I would hope that the United States would always come to our aid under the ANZUS treaty if we were attacked in the Pacific.

‘But Mr Trump has made it very clear, it’s part of his brand, part of his style, to be less predictable and he has certainly been prepared to take on allies.’

This prompted Trump’s late-night Truth Social outburst.

‘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,’ President Trump said.

‘I always thought he was a weak and ineffective leader and, obviously Australians agreed with me.’

More to come.