Donald Trump hints at meeting Anthony Albanese in New York as PM heads to UN General Assembly

Donald Trump has signalled he will meet face-to-face with Anthony Albanese next week as the PM heads to New York for the UN General Assembly.

Mr Albanese will fly to the US on Saturday where he has indicated he hopes to secure a long-sought meeting with the US President.

Mr Trump hinted at a meeting while blasting an Australian journalist who asked about the President’s personal business dealings.

However, the Prime Minister is yet to confirm saying “we’ll see what happens there, but I’m looking forward to going to New York”, when asked if there was a meeting scheduled.

Asked if that meant “no”, Mr Albanese responded “No, I’m looking forward to going to New York to address the United Nations,” he said.

“We’ve got some really important events there as well — including on our social media ban for under-16s.

“That, of course, is receiving a lot of global coverage now and the decision by the European Union to follow Australia’s leadership there is very significant indeed.”

Foreign Minister Penny Wong, Communications Minister Anika Wells and Energy Minister Chris Bowen will be in the PM’s travelling party.

While Mr Albanese hasn’t met Mr Trump in person, the duo have spoken on the phone four times since the President’s inauguration in January.

The pair were scheduled to have a crucial sit-down on the sidelines of the Canada G7 summit in June but it was upended when the President suddenly returned to Washington for a briefing on US strikes in Iran.

The opposition have called for the PM to secure a meeting after concern over a Pentagon review into the AUKUS submarine pact and in the wake of tariffs on Australian goods into the US.

Shadow Defence Minister Angus Taylor on Tuesday said it was in Australia’s interests for the PM to secure a meeting sooner rather than later.

“We’ve long said that there needs to be a face-to-face meeting between the Prime Minister and the President of the United States after three meetings with the General Secretary of the Chinese Communist Party,” he said.

“But we also need to see outcomes. We need to see the AUKUS agreement secure. Just as getting defence spending to where it should be, should be a priority for the Prime Minister and the government.”

Australia has also faced pressure from the Trump administration to lift defence spending to 3.5 per cent of GDP with Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth raising it directly to Defence Minister Richard Marles at Singapore’s Shangri-La Dialogue earlier this year.

Mr Marles late last month held snap meetings in Washington with key officials, including Mr Hegseth, Vice President JD Vance, and Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

Weeks later, US media reported AUKUS was set to be given the green light following Pentagon official and AUKUS-sceptic Elbridge Colby’s “America First” review.

It comes as other leaders have enjoyed White House visits, including less conservative leaders like the UK’s Keir Starmer, Canada’s Mark Carney and France’s Emmanuel Macron.

Mr Trump’s tirade at the ABC journalist sparked criticism from Nationals Senator Matt Canavan who questioned why taxpayer funds were being used sending journalists to the US.

“I don’t want my taxpayer dollars going . . . to an Australian journalist to go over to the US and do all this stuff. (The ABC) get a billion dollars a year. Enough is enough,” he said.

Mr Trump had been fielding questions on the White House lawn ahead of his departure for the UK, when John Lyons questioned whether a sitting President should be engaged in significant business activity — a question which angered Mr Trump.

“You’re hurting Australia, right? In my opinion, you are hurting Australia very much right now”.

“And they want to get along with me. You know, your . . . leader is coming over to see me very soon. I’m going to tell them about you. You set a very bad tone.”

Mr Trump then jabbed a finger at the reporter, saying “quiet”.

Treasurer Jim Chalmers defended Mr Lyons saying “journalists have a job to do”.

But Liberal senator and former ABC journalist Sarah Henderson called for the broadcaster to explain the line of questioning.

“At a time when trade, defence and national security are such crucial issues in our relationship with our closest ally, it would be helpful if the ABC could explain this line of questioning,” she posted on X.