‘Worst in history’: Joe Hockey takes aim at Trump, Harris in lead up to US election

Donald Trump’s economic policies are like “handing a box of chocolates to a four-year-old” but Kamala Harris doesn’t have much to offer either, according to former ambassador Joe Hockey.

Mr Hockey, who was treasurer under the Abbott government before being appointed Canberra’s man in Washington during the Trump era, was candid in his assessment on US politics in a discussion at the National Press Club on Thursday.

He claimed the race to the White House was tight, that Mr Trump remained “very competitive”, and that whoever wins will support Australia.

But he said both offered economic policies that could spell disaster.

“It is, singularly, the worst election campaign in living memory for anyone who cares about economics,” he said.

He warned the US economy would take a substantial hit under trade tarriffs implemented by either administration, which could lead to price increases and reduce the value of the US dollar.

“It is ground zero in terms of making promises that are unfunded and probably cannot be delivered,” he said.

“America now represents the greatest sovereign risk for business and for countries around the world.”

Taking particular aim at Mr Trump, he described his platform as “absurd in its largess”.

“And I have said it to president Trump. He cannot keep spending,” he said.

“He knows that his policies are not only inflationary but they’re hugely expansionary. It’s like a sugar hit. It’s handing a box of chocolates to a four-year-old.”

But, he said Australia was in an “incredibly good position with both candidates”, and that ambassador Kevin Rudd was “doing a good job”.

“There’s such enormous goodwill towards Australia, and the beauty of it is it goes down to everyday Americans,” he said.

On Ms Harris, Mr Hockey said it was clear the Vice President was “winning the enthusiasm battle”, but that she faced significant hurdles as a woman of colour.

“There is still an element in the United States that is both misogynistic and racist and, because of voluntary voting, it’s really hard to work out what the turnout is going to be,” he said.

Asked to speculate on what a potential Trump and Harris cabinet might look like, he made a “left field” guess Hillary Clinton could serve as secretary of state under the Democrat.

His address came as Mr Trump described Ukrainian people as “dead” and the country “demolished”, raising questions about what role a potential Trump Administration could have in ending Russia’s war.

He argued Ukraine should have made concessions to Russian President Vladimir Putin in the lead-up to the February 2022 attack, saying even “the worst deal would’ve been better than what we have now”.

At the presidential debate earlier this month, Mr Trump refused to say whether he wanted Ukraine to win the war.