Anthony Albanese was so pleased about his first meeting with Donald Trump, so chuffed with the overwhelming – and somewhat unexpected – praise from the president, the prime minister joked that he’d use the endorsements in his campaign ads at the next election.

That’s obviously unlikely to happen – consider the effective campaign Albanese ran against Peter Dutton by comparing him to Trump , and the Labor left flank already ropable over what they view as a fawning and “shameful capitulation” over Aukus and critical minerals.

But the comment shows the level of satisfaction the Australian leader will take away from his face-to-face with Trump. Not only was there no disaster or real embarrassment in the unpredictable Trump White House, but almost every single opposition claim that the gover

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