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The Australian government has confidence that the AUKUS partnership will persist with the eventual winner of the United States presidential election later this year, according to Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles.
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Former US president Donald Trump is likely to face incumbent US President and Democratic Party leader Joe Biden during the 2024 United States presidential elections in November this year.
The Minister for Defence, speaking to ABC RN Breakfast radio on 4 March, said Australia is confident in the continued support of any future American government.
“When you look at the support across the political spectrum in the United States, for Australia, for our alliance, but obviously for the AUKUS arrangement specifically, it is there,” he said.
“We saw that on display at the end of last year when legislation passed through the United States Congress with the support of the full spectrum of American politics. Republicans and Democrats alike.
“When you step back and have a look at it, there was fulsome support across the political spectrum (for AUKUS).
“Yes, there is heat and light in any legislative process in the United States, but when it came to the crunch, there was support for Australia, but support for the AUKUS arrangements across the spectrum.
“That does give us a sense of confidence that no matter what the result is in the presidential election at the end of this year, AUKUS is going to enjoy the support of any future American government.”
A continuation of a US administration under the leadership of incumbent President Joe Biden is expected to remain focused on a “free and open Indo-Pacific” with the support of AUKUS.
Republican candidate Donald Trump said America will likely withdraw from several international conflicts involving US troops and stop subsidising the protection of other international countries without sufficient renumeration, during a political rally held in Conway, South Carolina, on 11 February this year.
He also declared that America would quickly “settle” the war in Ukraine, were he elected in November.
Australian leaders have previously had an on-and-off relationship with former president Trump. Former Australian prime minister Scott Morrison praised the US leader as a man with similar views, while in the wake of the 6 January United States Capitol riots while then-Opposition leader and now-Prime Minister Anthony Albanese spoke out against former US president Trump as a character who “sought to undermine democratic process”.
Most recently, former prime minister Malcolm Turnbull, appearing on television program Q&A this week, said the Republican candidate “does not believe the law applies to him” and responded that “tyrants are often popular” when asked about Trump’s appeal to American voters.
