# Former Australian PM Malcolm Turnbull says leaders must stand up to bullies after being lashed by Donald Trump

The former Australian prime minister  has said leaders should “not give in to bullies” after he was lashed by Donald Trump in a late-night social media post.

Taking to the Truth Social platform just before midnight Sunday in Washington DC, the US president said Turnbull led Australia from “behind” and did not understand China.

“Malcolm Turnbull, the former Prime Minister of Australia who was always leading that wonderful country from ‘behind’ never understood what was going on in China, nor did he have the capacity to do so. I always thought he was a weak and ineffective leader and, obviously, Australian’s  agreed with me!!!”

The post appears to be in response to an interview by Turnbull with Bloomberg in which he said Trump’s chaotic leadership style would benefit China, to the detriment of the US.

“President Xi will aim to be the exact opposite of Trump: where Trump is chaotic, he will be consistent. Where Trump is rude and abusive, he’ll be respectful. Where Trump is erratic, he will be consistent.”

Turnbull said the world was seeing an “undiluted” version of Trump in his second term, and that his capricious behaviour would be seen as advantageous for China’s president, Xi Jinping, in international relations.

For countries forced to choose between “China on the one hand, and Trump on the other”, many would “find China a more attractive partner”.

Contacted by the Guardian, Turnbull said his commentary on Bloomberg “speaks for itself”.

Speaking to Sarah Ferguson on ABC’s 7.30 on Monday night, Turnbull described Trump’s comments as “rude and abusive” and doubled down on comments the US president was driving countries closer to China.

“If Trump abuses them, seeks to bully them, puts crippling tariffs on them, they will naturally edge closer to China,” the former prime minister said.

Trump and Turnbull have history. The pair shared an acrimonious phone call in 2017 over the US-Australia refugee swap deal, which had been negotiated by Trump’s predecessor, Barack Obama.

Trump said it was a bad deal and accepting it would make him look like a “dope”. “I have had it. I have been making these calls all day and this is the most unpleasant call all day. Putin was a pleasant call. This is ridiculous,” he said shortly before the call ended.

But at other times, the pair have appeared friendly. , even during a meeting with the French president, Emmanuel Macron.

Turnbull was prime minister from 2015 to 2018. He did not lose office at an election but rather through an internal Liberal party spill, when he lost the leadership to Scott Morrison.

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