Trump Finalizes Rare Earths Deal With Australia, Clowns Aussie Envoy Over Deleted Insults
President Donald Trump sealed a major agreement with Australia on Monday, formalizing a rare earths and critical minerals partnership during a high-profile White House meeting with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese. But it wasn’t just about business — Trump also took a sharp swipe at Australia’s ambassador after being reminded of the envoy’s past insults.
.@POTUS signs a critical minerals deal with Australian Prime Minister @AlboMP:
“We’re doing a real job on rare earth and many other things.” pic.twitter.com/clwDafPPk5
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) October 20, 2025
“This is a big deal,” Trump said, flanked by key figures including Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and Chief of Staff Susie Wiles. “We’re going to be signing an agreement that’s been negotiated over four or five months. We got it done just in time for the visit.”
The pact is aimed at securing a stable supply of critical minerals — especially rare earth elements — amid rising tensions with China, which currently dominates much of the global supply. Prime Minister Albanese said Australia is ready to move, touting an $8.5 billion investment pipeline in mining and production.
Tariffs were also raised during the discussion, but Trump made it clear he wasn’t in a rush to make changes.
“I will say this, Australia pays very low tariffs, very, very low tariffs,” Trump noted. “Among the lowest.”
The president praised the AUKUS defense alliance and said Australia would soon be receiving nuclear-powered submarines as part of a broader military and economic alignment between the two allies.
But the meeting’s most talked-about moment came when Trump was asked about critical comments made by Australia’s Ambassador Kevin Rudd — who once called Trump a “traitor to the West” and “the most destructive president in history” in now-deleted posts on X.
Trump, clearly aware of the remarks, feigned surprise. “I don’t know anything about him,” he said. “If he said bad things, maybe he’d like to apologize.”
Turning to Albanese and scanning the room playfully, Trump asked, “Where is he? Is he still working for you?” When the prime minister pointed directly across the table, Trump locked eyes with Rudd and delivered the punchline: “You said bad?”
Rudd tried to ease the tension: “Before I took this position, Mr. President.”
Trump didn’t miss a beat. “I don’t like you either,” he shot back. “And I probably never will.”
The jab drew laughter from others in the room and capped off a visit that blended serious geopolitics with trademark Trump bravado. The deal marks a significant move in the administration’s strategy to secure mineral independence — and a not-so-subtle reminder that, under Trump, diplomacy is rarely boring.