From the White House on Monday, US President Donald Trump waxed lyrical about Australia–US relations and his country’s friendship with Australia.
“We’ve been long-term, longtime allies and I would say there’s never been anybody better,” Trump told Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, at the pair’s first official meeting.
“We fought wars together and we never had any doubts,” he said.
Australia though, for arguably the first time in its history, is feeling some creep in.
The US has historically been seen as its best friend, the ultimate ally.
Before Albanese hopped on his flight to Washington for the meeting—which he had been trying to secure for months—he said it was an important opportunity to “consolidate and strengthen” the connection.
“Australia and the United States have stood shoulder-to-shoulder in every major conflict for over a century,” he said in a statement.
But in a world order challenging Washington’s dominance, and under an administration stretching many of its ties, Australia–US relations are being reassessed.
Strains in a century-old alliance
“The Trump administration is clearly fraying some of those long-held, unexamined beliefs about the reliability of the United States as an ally,” Sam Roggeveen of the Lowy Institute told the BBC.
Trump’s tariffs scheme, imposing a 10% import tax on most Australian goods and 50% on aluminium and steel, was described by Albanese at the time as “not the act of a friend.”
Then came a review of the Aukus defence pact, causing alarm in Canberra. While the Albanese government expressed confidence, concerns lingered about US capacity and commitment.
Adding to unease was Albanese’s long struggle to secure this White House meeting, seen by some as a diplomatic snub.
Australia seeks reassurance on Aukus and trade
Ultimately, Monday’s meeting went as well as Albanese could have hoped.
He leaves Washington with Trump’s praise and a deal for US investment in Australia’s critical minerals industry, part of efforts to reduce China’s market dominance.
He also secured renewed commitment to Aukus, ending the long review.
Tariffs remain an irritation, but they are now the lowest applied to any country—and some Australian sectors, like beef, are benefitting from shifting global markets.
Still, experts say the episode highlights growing doubts within Australia–US relations, as Trump’s unpredictable treatment of allies fuels uncertainty.
“For the first time in my lifetime, one of our two major political parties benefited in the last election from slightly distancing itself from the US,” Roggeveen said.
China tension keeps alliance intact
Despite mistrust, about half of Australians still believe their nation needs its US alliance “more than ever.”
“Donald Trump may be difficult and unpopular, but it’s another thing to find an alternative to the US right now,” said Jared Mondschein of the US Studies Centre. “That’s really due to Xi Jinping—he’s the gift that keeps on giving for the US in Asia.”
Recent run-ins between Chinese and Australian jets underscored ongoing regional tensions. Analysts agree that while Canberra’s feelings about Washington may be evolving, its strategic dependence remains unchanged.
As Roggeveen summed up: “Many allies in the region would rather take the uncertainty of a term-limited Trump administration than the certainty of a Xi Jinping-led China.”
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