Australia Doesn’t Need Trump, Or Dutton

The Australian Newspaper’s Foreign Editor, Greg Sheridan, never seems to get it right when it comes to issues geopolitical. That’s an outstanding strike rate – depending on how you view success, for someone who is meant to be well versed about their patch.

Sheridan’s latest piece today, “Aussies may sour on Trump but we still need him, warts and all,” is a masterclass in selective memory, false equivalencies, and geopolitical wish casting. His argument — Australia should tolerate Donald Trump’s erratic, dangerous behaviour because of Australia’s alliance with the US — not only misrepresents it’s strategic interests but excuses a style of politics that has no place in Australia.

Simply, Australians don’t want Trump, Trumpism, or a local knockoff in Peter Dutton.

Sheridan’s framing of Trump as a necessary evil — a chaotic genius whose leadership style is somehow a net positive for Western alliances — ignores the very real damage Trump has inflicted on global stability, democracy, and the USs’ credibility as a partner. Worse still, Sheridan’s attempts to draw a flattering comparison between Trump and Dutton, suggesting that a tough-guy, plain-speaking authoritarian posture is somehow in vogue. Obviously, Sheridan fails to comprehend the Australian psyche or ethos.

Australians have consistently rejected this brand of politics. Australians railed against it with Scott Morrison, who tried on the Trumpian toolkit of “us vs them,” wedge politics, and media manipulation — only to be voted out decisively in 2022.

The idea that Peter Dutton, a politician whose public approval ratings hover below freezing, would benefit from association with Trump is fanciful at best.

Sheridan claims that “no one seriously thinks Dutton is an Australian Trump,” but that’s either naïve or disingenuous. Dutton has mimicked many of the same tactics: demonising minorities, scapegoating public servants, flirting with culture war talking points, and using fear as his primary political currency. His recent promise to slash the public service, his dog-whistling on immigration, and his posturing on defence are straight out of the MAGA playbook.

Australians aren’t buying it.

If anything, Trump’s bizarre performance alongside Volodymyr Zelensky — where he berated a wartime ally for the cameras — was a wake-up call. As Sheridan himself notes, even moderate conservatives have started to reconsider their support. But instead of taking this as a warning against importing these politics into Australia, Sheridan doubles down. He argues Trump’s unpredictability makes him more effective, and that “managing Trump” should become a core diplomatic strategy.

It's logic that’s absurd. Australia shouldn’t shape its foreign policy around appeasing the ego of an unstable former reality TV host with authoritarian tendencies. That’s not strategy — it’s submission.

And it’s here that Sheridan’s piece veers into dangerous territory. He argues “we need Trump” to preserve the US-Australia alliance. It’s a false dichotomy. Australia’s alliance with the US is grounded in shared democratic values, not individual leaders. If Trump continues down a path of transactional nationalism and cosying up to autocrats, it’s incumbent on Australia to protect its sovereignty and values, not enable his delusions of grandeur.

The US alliance can’t — and must not — be a blank cheque. Trump has already made clear he views NATO as a protection racket, questioned the value of alliances unless they serve his personal brand, and even floated abandoning long-standing allies. His “Liberation Day” tariffs and threats to withdraw support from Ukraine unless given “gratitude” aren’t strategic moves — they’re erratic, self-serving bluster. Hitching Australia’s foreign policy to this train is reckless.

What’s most galling is Sheridan’s suggestion Trump is the “natural leader type” for “these troubled times.” This sentiment isn’t only disconnected from the global backlash against populist strongmen, it’s insulting to the millions who have suffered under their rule. Australians remember the damage that Morrison’s performative leadership caused — from vaccine rollouts to bushfire responses — and we don’t need more of it.

Dutton, like Trump, offers no vision for Australia’s future beyond slogans, stunts, and stoking division. His economic platform is regressive, his social policies are out of touch, and his leadership style is more focused on media hits than meaningful change. Sheridan’s piece conveniently glosses over these facts in favour of a nostalgic fantasy where “manly responses” and tough talk somehow solve complex global problems.

Australia is not America. Australians don’t idolise billionaires, they don’t elect celebrities, and don’t tolerate bullies who punch down. It’s politics is more consensus-driven, more egalitarian, and more grounded in community values. Sheridan’s attempt to graft Trumpism onto Australian soil ignores this cultural reality.

Dutton’s decision to echo Trump’s style is not a strength — it’s a red flag. It signals a willingness to import the very dysfunction and division that has torn the US apart. If anything, Dutton’s Trump-like posturing makes him unelectable to a broad Australian audience that wants decency, integrity, and vision in its leaders — not performative machismo and culture war crumbs.

Sheridan concludes by warning that being too publicly anti-Trump would be “very dangerous for Australia.” The real danger lies in aligning our nation’s future with a man who undermines democracy, cozies up to dictators, and governs by tantrum. It’s time Australians stop treating Trump as inevitable and start treating him as unacceptable.

Australians don’t need Trump. And we certainly don’t need Dutton trying to be him.