Peter Dutton says Anthony Albanese’s Donald Trump phone call explanations getting ‘weirder by the day’

Opposition Leader Peter Dutton has said Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s excuses for not being able to get Donald Trump on the phone are getting “weirder and weirder by the day.”

At the fourth and final leaders debate hosted by 7NEWS on Sunday, Mr Albanese claimed that Mr Trump does not have a mobile phone when asked why he had not been able to secure another phone call with the US President.

The while at a rally marking 100 days back in office, Mr Trump was asked by Australian reporters: “The Australian Prime Minister is having an election this weekend. Will you speak to him about trade?”

He replied: “They are calling and I will be talking to him, yes.”

Speaking in Melbourne on Wednesday, Mr Dutton described Mr Albanese’s responses around the relations as “strange” but said it was “refreshing to know that President Trump has a phone.”

“Well it’s an amazing revelation, but refreshing to know that President Trump has a phone,” he said.

“I don’t know why the Prime Minister can’t just be honest.

“It just seems strange, like falling off the stage and then pretending there’s no footage of him falling off the stage.

“It sort of gets weirder and weirder by the day.”

Mr Albanese later said he did not have Mr Trump’s number and that there were “formal processes” in place.

He told ABC Radio Wednesday morning Mr Trump’s remarks were “a light-hearted throwaway comment” and that he expected to speak with the president after the election if re-elected.

“I’m not staying up at night trying to ring anyone at the moment,” he said.

“I’m in the election campaign. And of course, what the President of the United States would be aware of is the discussions that took place between our officials and his officials and that have continued.

“But I’m sure if we are successful, we will have a discussion after Saturday.”