ABC Editor Says He Was Barred From Covering Trump–Albanese Meeting

An editor at Australia’s public broadcaster, who made headlines after being criticised by U.S. President Donald Trump for his reporting, says the Australian prime minister’s office denied him access to cover the recent White House bilateral meeting.

John Lyons, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation’s (ABC) Americans editor, could not attend the Oct. 21 official meeting between Trump and Prime Minister Anthony Albanese.

“We tried,” Lyons told ABC Radio National.

“We made many requests to the Prime Minister Albanese’s office, and we were declined.

“They didn’t really want to say anything much about it. They’re all a bit vague in their reasons. It was all done verbally.”

Lyons claims the ABC was never given anything in writing.

“So we are left in the dark as to why they wouldn’t allow me to have access to a meeting today,” he said.

The Epoch Times understands that while Lyons had personally been unsuccessful in trying to attend the event, the ABC was present for the meeting.

In September, Lyons was interviewing Trump outside the White House when he asked repeated questions about the president’s wealth and how much it had grown since he’d returned to office.

Trump told Lyons his business was mainly run by his children, but Lyons continued to ask the same question.

The president then asked where Lyons was from, and upon hearing he was from the Australian public broadcaster, issued a warning.

“Oh O.K. … You are hurting Australia,” Trump told Lyons.

“In my opinion you are hurting Australia right now. And they want to get along with me.

“You know your leader is coming over to see me very soon. I’m going to tell him about you. You set a pretty bad tone.”

In the aftermath, the ABC lost a spot at the high level U.K. Chequers meeting between Trump and Prime Minister Keir Starmer, but an ABC spokesperson told The Epoch Times the omission was due to “logistical reasons” and there were no indication it was connected to the Lyons-Trump exchange.

The recent meeting between Trump and Albanese has been highly anticipated, and marks the first time the two have met since the U.S. leader was re-elected.

During the meeting, the two signed a rare earths agreement that would see the nations jointly investing $13 billion (US$8.5 billion) in critical minerals projects over the next six months.

The Epoch Times contacted the prime minister’s office for comment.

Trump Critiques Other Aussie Reporters

Lyons is not the only Australian reporter to have received a presidential rebuke.

The Sydney Morning Herald’s (SMH) North American correspondent Michael Koziol was also called a “nasty guy” by the U.S. president.

The quick remark was made after Trump asked Koziol who he was and who he worked for.

Trump did, however, answer the reporter’s question on how Albanese compared to other Australian leaders.

“I mean that wouldn’t be fair because you know, the man on my right has a big advantage. You know that, right?” Trump said.

“But I think he’s doing a really I think he’s doing a really good job and we’ve had a very good relationship.”

Trump made another remark toward Australian journalist Latika Bourke, of The Nightly and SMH, who asked why the American leader didn’t supply Ukraine with enough weapons to end the Russia-Ukraine war.

Trump said he did not think she knew about the situation.

“It’s little more complicated than that, it sounds easy, but we’re in the process of trying to make a deal.”