Dutton’s Trump-mania is a dumb political move

As Australians look on horrified at the chaos going on in America, the last thing they want is for the Australian Government to emulate it, writes Dr Victoria Fielding.

NEVER INTERRUPT YOUR ENEMY when they’re making a mistake. This is no doubt the thought of the Labor Government as they watch Dutton dig himself into a Trump-loving hole just in time for the election.

When Scott Morrison and wife Jenny spent New Year's Eve grinning like Cheshire cats with Donald and Melania Trump at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort in January, the Liberal Party clearly thought it was on a winner waving its MAGA supporting flags.

Dutton made sure Australians knew where his allegiances lay when in February he praised Trump as a "big thinker" after Trump made unhinged and illegal calls for America to take over Gaza and turn it into a real estate opportunity. While every world leader except Benjamin Netanyahu was against Trump’s plan, Dutton took the opportunity to back Trump. And there the self-wedging began.

If Dutton could have sensed the public mood, he would have jumped off the Trump bandwagon when he had the chance. This public mood is not just a little bit concerned about Trump — it is aghast.

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As shown by The Guardian's Essential poll:

53% of Australians think the Trump Presidency will be negative for the U.S. economy (33% positive);
56% think it will be negative for world peace (27% positive);
62% think Trump will be negative for the global economy (24% positive); and
61% believe he will be negative for the Australian economy (20% positive).

Somewhat alarmingly but also unsurprisingly, the only demographic that does not seem concerned about Trump is young men — no doubt egged on, as Essential director Peter Lewis suggests, by their right-wing podcasting bros.

With these polling figures in mind, it does not appear to be a coincidence that Peter Dutton’s approval ratings have fallen steadily this year, as the reality of the grotesque Trump Presidency unfolds. A smarter politician would work hard to differentiate themselves from Trump, but Dutton can’t do that because… well, you finish that sentence.

Instead, as a politician known to have the subtlety of a foghorn, Dutton has dug in, trying to claim only he can deal with his best mate Trump and that the Albanese Government cannot. For example, even though Dutton admitted he was "disappointed" – a soft criticism – in Trump’s treatment of Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in the Oval Office, Dutton pledged to "lobby" Trump to change his views on Ukraine.

These sorts of weasel words treat Australians like fools.

Dutton is claiming that he is such good friends with Trump – someone Australians see as a dangerous fool – that he can reverse Trump’s inexplicably close relationship with Russian autocrat Vladimir Putin. Trump has upended America’s ties with all its old allies and in turn the old world order. Yeah sure, Peter.

Dutton also pulled the “I’m buddies with Trump” trick when he claimed he could get Trump to reverse his 25% tariffs on Australian steel and aluminium exports. Again, Australians are watching on as Trump refuses to back down from tariffs against Canada — America’s neighbour and formerly closest ally. Australians can see that Dutton won’t have any sway over Trump’s tariff plans. They’d prefer he stood up for Australia rather than cosying up to Trump.

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Alongside backing his mate Trump’s chaotic circus, Dutton is also making the mistake of emulating Trump’s unpopular policies. While 60% of Americans are concerned that Musk’s slashing and burning of government jobs through DOGE will hurt their services, Dutton is promising to cut public service jobs.

Mirroring Trump’s attacks on immigrants, Dutton also proposed to hold a referendum on deporting Australian dual citizens — an idea so stupid even some of his colleagues said so.

Not one to learn lessons quickly, Dutton has more recently said he shared “common ground” with Trump and that his first trip as prime minister would be to visit his buddy in Washington.

Dutton’s stubbornness to claim mateship with Trump and to emulate his divisive and hateful policies plays perfectly into the Australian Union movement’s “Don’t risk Dutton” election campaign. This campaign is being sowed in fertile, anxious ground.

As Australians look on horrified at the economic, social and security chaos going on in America, the last thing they want is to unleash that chaos on Australia.