Trump to Turnbull: Australia trying to export ‘Boston bombers’ to US

US President Donald Trump (right) and Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull

US President Donald Trump has described his phone conversation with Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull as "the worst by far" of a clutch of calls to world leaders, accusing him of seeking to export the "next Boston bombers" to the United States.

Senior Australian government sources confirmed on Wednesday that Turnbull and Trump had a "robust" and shorter than expected phone call.

According to The Washington Post, Trump blasted a refugee agreement between the Obama administration and Australia as "the worst deal ever,” before abruptly ending the conversation.

Trump reportedly bragged about the size of his election victory in the 2016 presidential election, as well as the fact that he had attended several phone calls from world leaders that same day.

Trump told Turnbull but this “was the worst call by far,” according to senior US officials briefed on the issue.

He also told the Australian prime minister that he was trying to export the "next Boston bombers" to America, and complained that the agreement would ruin him politically.

He reportedly told Turnbull that he doesn’t “want these people."

The phone call was expected to last an hour, but Trump ended it suddenly after 25 minutes. The call was made on Saturday after the US president spoke with Shinzo Abe of Japan, Angela Merkel of Germany, François Hollande of France and Vladimir Putin of Russia on phone.

US President Donald Trump listens during the phone call with Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull on Saturday. (Photo by AP)

On Thursday morning, Trump tweeted that he is reviewing the agreement with Australia under which America would resettle up to 1,250 asylum seekers who traveled to the country by boat and were sent to detention facilities.

“Do you believe it? The Obama Administration agreed to take thousands of illegal immigrants from Australia. Why? I will study this dumb deal!” Trump tweeted.

Australian officials said the conversation between Trump and Turnbull was "robust" and "shorter than expected," while one minister told the ABC News that "Trump hates this deal.”

Prime Minister Turnbull refused to comment on the phone call, but claimed the two countries would go ahead with the refugee agreement as it was planned.

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The White House, however, claimed that the two men “emphasized the enduring strength and closeness of the US-Australia relationship that is critical for peace, stability, and prosperity in the Asia-Pacific region and globally.”

Separately, The Associated Press reported on Thursday that Trump threatened to send troops to Mexico during a phone conversation with President Enrique Pena Nieto on Friday.

Trump told Nieto the troops would be sent to stop the "bad hombres down there" unless Mexico deals with them itself.


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