'I have this Russian guy': Australia's Malcolm Turnbull mimics, mocks Trump

Matthew Diebel | USA TODAY

Show Caption Hide Caption Australian Prime Minister mocks President Trump in leaked audio In leaked audio, Australian PM Malcolm Turnbull can be heard mocking President Trump.

Australia’s prime minister had some ’splaining to do after audio emerged of him mimicking and apparently mocking President Trump during a speech.

"The Donald and I ... we are winning in the polls. We are! Not the fake polls. We are winning in the real polls. You know, the online polls. They are so easy to win," Malcolm Turnbull said in the recording.

The prime minister, who had a much-reported-upon frosty phone call with Trump soon after his inauguration – which the president called “the worst call by far” – delivered his diatribe during a closed-doors event with journalists that was supposed to be off the record.

Wonder how Turnbull's next call with Trump will go after this?! #winning https://t.co/fzoHpyFDJo — Anne-Marie Tomchak (@AMTomchak) June 15, 2017

However, a political editor at a TV network leaked portions of the address, saying that because he did not attend the event himself he was not governed by confidentiality rules.

According to Australia's 9News, Turnbull also made fun of his meeting with Trump in New York last month, for which Trump was three hours late.

"It was beautiful. It was the most beautiful putting-me-at-ease ever."

He then went on to do a Trump impersonation, the station reported.

"The Donald and I, we are winning and winning in the polls. We are winning so much, we are winning, we are winning like we have never won before," he said.

He also mentioned the probe into the Trump campaign's links with Russia. "I have this Russian guy,” he said, again mimicking Trump. “Believe me, it's true, it is true."

Later, Turnbull told 3AW, a Melbourne talk-radio station, that the speech was meant to be a "good-humored roast.”



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Turnbull did, however, admit that the ribbing was "a breach of protocol. It's a breach of faith and all those things, but it's light-hearted, affectionate, good-natured. The butt of my jokes was myself.”

The U.S. Embassy in Australia’s capital, Canberra, told 9News that it had no problem with Turnbull’s remarks.

"We understand that last night's event is equivalent to our own White House Correspondents' Dinner," an embassy spokesperson said.

"We take this with the good humor that was intended."

Trump did not appear at this year's Correspondents' Dinner, which every president in modern times has attended.