Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has remained tight-lipped on what a potential Donald Trump presidency could mean for New Zealand as he meets with US lawmakers in Washington DC.
The PM is currently in the US, where he had several meetings with senators and congresspeople on Capitol Hill before attending the 75th NATO Summit.
His visit comes at a tumultuous time for US politics, which is gearing up for a second election showdown between President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump.
A disastrous TV debate saw Biden lose his train of thought and struggle to speak coherent sentences and has led many to see a second Trump presidency as a conceivable prospect.
The Prime Minister’s focus in the US is building relationships with US lawmakers and not commenting about the race between Joe Biden and Donald Trump. (Source: 1News)
International relations expert Alexander Gillespie told 1News that a second Trump presidency could mean big changes for New Zealand’s relationship with the US.
He said it would likely include increased pressure to join AUKUS, Trump’s proposed 10% trade tariff, as well as if a Trump presidency would continue the same level of outreach in the Pacific as the Biden administration.
“Each and every one of those has a direct implication for us,” he said.
Following his meetings, Luxon was asked what a trade tariff under Trump could mean for New Zealand businesses.
The PM is currently in the US, where he had several meetings with lawmakers on Capitol Hill before attending the 75th NATO Summit. (Source: 1News)
He chose to remain tight-lipped, saying: “I’m not gonna interfere with US domestic politics.
“That is ultimately a decision for the American people about their leadership and who represents them as president.
“My job is to make sure I can work to the very best of my ability with whoever is in power after November 5.”
He was asked if he had seen the debate between Biden and Trump and if the 81-year-old would still be a candidate before the election; Luxon again said he was in the US to "make sure I'm advancing New Zealand's national interests."
The Prime Minister was also asked if he would get a chance to meet with Biden while in the US.
He said that because the president was hosting so many leaders, "We won't have a formal Oval Office meeting as such.
"I'm sure over the coming days, there will be a moment for us to catch up."
Luxon met with leaders from across the aisles of Congress today with the goal of making new friends for the country and boosting New Zealand’s presence at the Capitol.
He met with Senate Foreign Relations Committee chair, Democrat representative Ben Cardin, ranking member, Republican representative Jim Risch, and Democrat Senator for Georgia Jon Ossoff.
He said the discussions had mostly been about what's going on in the Pacific region.
“I think they’ve really appreciated the engagement,” he said about the meetings.
“They’ve appreciated hearing what our new Government wants to achieve, particularly our stepped-up role within the Indo-Pacific region.
“It’s been a good opportunity to actually make sure that they understand that New Zealand is a trusted partner.
“And part of it is making sure that in a big country like this, with a very large political system, you need to make sure that you’ve got multiple relationships across the system.”
He said the “quality” of the visits today was a “testament to the great work of our ambassadorial team and the standard that was held here in Washington, which is very, very good.”
Luxon said he has “really enjoyed the stimulation” of promoting NZ in the US, and as an “American political junkie”, it’s “always cool to be in Washington DC”.
He is now gearing up for five bilateral meetings with other NATO leaders tomorrow before jetting off to San Francisco in California, where he will promote New Zealand business.
SHARE ME