Trump Locks Rare Earths Deal With Australia, Throws Shade At Envoy

WASHINGTON— President Donald Trump on Monday signed a critical minerals and rare earths deal with Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, calling the leader a trusted friend and steadfast ally.

Under the deal, the U.S. and Australian governments will invest more than $3 billion in critical mineral projects over the next six months, “with recoverable resources in the projects estimated to be worth $53 billion,” according to the White House. The Department of War will also invest in constructing a “100 metric ton-per-year advanced gallium refinery in Western Australia, further advancing self-reliance in critical minerals processing.”

And the U.S. Export-Import Bank will issue seven “Letters of Interest” for over $2.2 billion in financing, the White House said, “unlocking up to $5 billion of total investment, to advance critical minerals and supply-chain security projects between our two countries.”

Additionally, Australia has committed to making new defense investments bolstering both the U.S. and Australia, including purchasing $1billion in Andural “unmanned underwater vehicles” as well as $2.6 billion in Apache helicopters.

The meeting, which took place in the White House Cabinet Room, included Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, Australia Ambassador Kevin Rudd, Australia’s Industry Minister Tim Ayres, and others.

“We’re going to be signing an agreement that’s been negotiated over a period of four or five months,” explained President Trump.

“We got it done just in time for the visit. And we work together very much on rare earths, critical minerals and lots of other things, and we’ve had a very good relationship. We’ve been working on that for quite a while.”

Australia’s prime minister said that his country has a $8.5 billion pipeline that is prepared and “ready to go.”

When reporters asked the president if he plans to lift U.S. tariffs on Australia, the president said: “I will say this, Australia, pays very low tariffs, very, very low tariffs. Australia pays among the lowest tariffs.”

The president also praised AUKUS — the trilateral security alliance between Australia, the United Kingdom, and the United States — and announced that the U.S. will soon sell Australia nuclear-powered submarines.

.@POTUS signs a critical minerals deal with Australian Prime Minister @AlboMP:

“We’re doing a real job on rare earth and many other things.” pic.twitter.com/clwDafPPk5

— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) October 20, 2025

At one point during the meeting, a reporter questioned President Trump about criticisms from Australian Ambassador Kevin Rudd, who has deleted X posts in which he called Trump a “traitor to the west” and “the most destructive president in history.”

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“I don’t know anything about him,” the president told the reporter, “If he said bad [things] then maybe he’d like to apologize.”

“I really don’t know, did an ambassador say something,” he asked jokingly, turning to Albanese, and drawing laughs from those in the room. “Don’t tell me, I don’t wanna know. Where is he? Is he still working for you?”

When the prime minister pointed across the table at Rudd, who was seated almost directly across from Trump, the president looked at him and questioned, “You said bad?”

“Before I took this position, Mr. President,” Rudd responded.

“I don’t like you either,” the president told him. “And I probably never will. Go ahead,” he added immediately, calling on another reporter.