Scott Morrison defends Donald Trump as the pair meet to discuss AUKUS

Scott Morrison has been slammed for his post with Donald Trump after he described his legal issues as a “pile on”.

The former prime minister, who in the US to spruik his new book “Plans for Your Good: A Prime Minister’s Testimony of God’s Faithfulness”, met with Mr Trump at his private New York residence just hours after the presumptive Republican nominee for the November election was in court for his historic hush money trial.

Mr Trump is fighting charges of falsifying business records to cover up an affair with an adult film star – the latest in a string of legal battles.

The pair snapped a picture following a private meeting where they discussed the future of AUKUS.

<img src="https://cue.wanews.com.au/webservice/thumbnail/article/14690129" id="_f763addf-6604-47b7-bbb1-76ed00e2525d" capiid="e062c8399940e566bbaee4bb5d2fdad4" alt="Scott Morrison meets with Donald Trump: "Was pleased to meet with former President Donald Trump on Tuesday night at his private residence in NY.  It was nice to catch up again, especially given the pile on he is currently dealing with in the US.  Was also a good opportunity to discuss AUKUS, which received a warm reception. We also discussed the continuing assertions of China in the Indo-Pacific and the threats against Taiwan. These were issues we discussed regularly when we were both in office. Once again, the former President showed his true appreciation of the  value he places on the Australia-US alliance and the shared role of supporting what our friend, Shinzo Abe, called a free and open Indo-Pacific. Good to see you DJT and thanks for the invitation to stay in touch. All the best." Picture: Twitter" caption="Scott Morrison shared a photo of himself with Donald Trump after the pair met in New York. Picture: Twitter">

Mr Morrison, who officially quit politics earlier this year to move into a new defence role, said the pair had discussed AUKUS, posting to X Mr Trump had given his “warm” support to the trilateral submarine deal.

“Was pleased to meet with former president Donald Trump on Tuesday night at his private residence in NY,” Mr Morrison wrote, alongside a photo of himself standing next to Mr Trump.

“It was nice to catch up again, especially given the pile on he is currently dealing with in the US. Was also a good opportunity to discuss AUKUS, which received a warm reception.”

Speaking to the ABC, Mr Morrison would not reveal what Mr Trump had said about AUKUS but said it was a “good opportunity to explain how AUKUS fitted into the issues in the Indo-Pacific”.

“It was a warm reception at the end of the day,” Mr Morrison said.

“We discussed it and it was received warmly … I think it’s important to understand what AUKUS is trying to do.”

Mr Trump’s apparent endorsement of the AUKUS deal will assuage mounting concerns of what the deal’s future might look like should Mr Trump win the presidency.”

But many followers were stunned by the post, with some calling it strange to refer to Mr Trump’s legal issues as a “pile on”.

“God I’m glad you’re not our PM anymore!” one person wrote.

“This reflects horribly on you. Read the room. The guy is a bloody disgrace and is no way a conservative. You are embarrassing yourself,” wrote another.

However, others praised Mr Morrison for meeting with Mr Trump.

“Well done, ScoMo!” one person wrote.

Mr Morrison’s successor, Anthony Albanese, wouldn’t weigh in on Mr Morrison’s reference to Mr Trump’s criminal charges being a “pile on”.

“I leave matters that are before the courts here in Australia. I play it straight back to them. I certainly am not about to intervene in matters that are before courts in the United States,” the Prime Minister told ABC Radio.

Asked if he was happy Mr Morrison had raised AUKUS with Mr Trump, Mr Albanese said he respected the office of prime minister.

“Scott Morrison, I know was meeting with the US ambassador to the US while he was in Washington, Kevin Rudd, and that’s entirely appropriate,” he said.

Mr Morrison’s former colleague, Coalition frontbencher Michaelia Cash, said it was “good” to see the AUKUS deal get such strong backing from Mr Trump.

“There’s a proud legacy of Scott Morrison as prime minister of this country with the AUKUS deal. We put the security of Australia and Australians first and foremost,” she told Channel 9.

“It is good to see that regardless of who is the president of the United States, they are committed to the AUKUS deal, as I said, a legacy of the former Coalition government.”

Her panel mate, Labor senator Malarndirri McCarthy, said the government welcomed any commitment to AUKUS.

“That is something that we want to see going forward, whatever happens in the US election,” she said.

Mr Morrison will be in Washington on Wednesday evening local time to launch his new book at the Australian embassy, alongside ambassador Kevin Rudd, former Trump senior adviser Kellyanne Conway, and former US secretary of state Mike Pompeo.

The foreword to Mr Morrison’s new book was written by Mike Pence, who served as vice president in the Trump administration, and is an evangelical Christian like Mr Morrison.