Donald Trump is finding it “tough” to talk on the telephone when he can’t get his own way. Twitter is a preferable medium for the President – he can simply post an inflammatory statement and then move on, ignoring the inevitable tsunami of comment. Free speech in Trump world is one way, conducted in very short simple sentences – basically a series of placards – telling us ordinary folk he’s “getting important stuff done”.

I’m all in favour of plain speaking – I’ve made a decent television career out of exactly that, but I am no politician, or someone who can decide who can travel to my country and expect a welcome or a wall topped with razor wire. I’ve just spent seven weeks in Australia, a country I know well, having worked there and visited regularly over the past 25 years. You couldn’t accuse Aussies of ever mincing their words, but Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull met his match when he took a phone call from tough-talking Trump.

The President, far from being thrilled that a key partner in the so-called “war” against radical Islam and a key strategic ally for the US in the South Pacific was offering congratulations, took umbrage when told that he would have to honour an agreement brokered by past President Obama to offer a home to just 1,250 refugees currently languishing in appalling conditions on remote Pacific Islands. These refugees (from South East Asia, Iran and Iraq) would have been vetted before being allowed to enter the US, but that was one Muslim too many for Trump, who abruptly terminated the call – which was meant to last an hour – after just 25 minutes.

The controversial orders Donald Trump has already issued Show all 9 1 /9 The controversial orders Donald Trump has already issued The controversial orders Donald Trump has already issued Trump and the media White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer takes questions during the daily press briefing Getty Images The controversial orders Donald Trump has already issued Trump and the Trans-Pacific Partnership Union leaders applaud US President Donald Trump for signing an executive order withdrawing the US from the Trans-Pacific Partnership negotiations during a meeting in the Roosevelt Room of the White House in Washington DC. Mr Trump issued a presidential memorandum in January announcing that the US would withdraw from the trade deal Getty The controversial orders Donald Trump has already issued Trump and the Mexico wall A US Border Patrol vehicle sits waiting for illegal immigrants at a fence opening near the US-Mexico border near McAllen, Texas. The number of incoming immigrants has surged ahead of the upcoming Presidential inauguration of Donald Trump, who has pledged to build a wall along the US-Mexico border. A signature campaign promise, Mr Trump outlined his intention to build a border wall on the US-Mexico border days after taking office Getty Images The controversial orders Donald Trump has already issued Trump and abortion US President Donald Trump signs an executive order as Chief of Staff Reince Priebus looks on in the Oval Office of the White House. Mr Trump reinstated a ban on American financial aide being granted to non-governmental organizations that provide abortion counseling, provide abortion referrals, or advocate for abortion access outside of the United States Getty Images The controversial orders Donald Trump has already issued Trump and the Dakota Access pipeline Opponents of the Keystone XL and Dakota Access pipelines hold a rally as they protest US President Donald Trump's executive orders advancing their construction, at Columbus Circle in New York. US President Donald Trump signed executive orders reviving the construction of two controversial oil pipelines, but said the projects would be subject to renegotiation Getty Images The controversial orders Donald Trump has already issued Trump and 'Obamacare' Nancy Pelosi who is the minority leader of the House of Representatives speaks beside House Democrats at an event to protect the Affordable Care Act in Los Angeles, California. US President Donald Trump's effort to make good on his campaign promise to repeal and replace the healthcare law failed when Republicans failed to get enough votes. Mr Trump has promised to revisit the matter Getty Images The controversial orders Donald Trump has already issued Donald Trump and 'sanctuary cities' US President Donald Trump signed an executive order in January threatening to pull funding for so-called "sanctuary cities" if they do not comply with federal immigration law AP The controversial orders Donald Trump has already issued Trump and the travel ban US President Donald Trump has attempted twice to restrict travel into the United States from several predominantly Muslim countries. The first attempt, in February, was met with swift opposition from protesters who flocked to airports around the country. That travel ban was later blocked by the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. The second ban was blocked by a federal judge a day before it was scheduled to be implemented in mid-March SANDY HUFFAKER/AFP/Getty Images The controversial orders Donald Trump has already issued Trump and climate change US President Donald Trump sought to dismantle several of his predecessor's actions on climate change in March. His order instructed the Environmental Protection Agency to reevaluate the Clean Power Plan, which would cap power plant emissions Shannon Stapleton/Reuters

To compound matters, Trump then bragged about his lack of courtesy on Twitter, saying “can you believe it? I will study this dumb deal”. He even called it the “worst” call of his day and promised to flex his muscle. Being “tough” in diplomatic terms does not always get the result you want.

Now, bully-boy Trump has had to send two of his key henchmen to butter up the Australian ambassador to Washington, who has been inundated with expressions of support from powerful US senators, including John McCain and Paul Ryan. Ironically, Australia is no push-over for refugees seeking asylum, or even those seeking to emigrate who do not possess the requisite skills.

Theresa May is a fan of the Aussie points system and is keen to adopt a similar scheme post-Brexit. Australia also has its own problems with radical Islamists who frequent mosques in the poorer inner city areas and who have committed some appalling acts of brutality on innocent citizens. To treat Australia as an enemy rather that a country which has a lot of the same problems as you do seems rather short-sighted to say the least.

Donald Trump has a barney with Arnie

As for Trump’s travel ban, that is being watered down every single day – it was the ultimate in gesture politics. Every highly developed country in the world needs workers with specialised skills. From surgeons to software engineers and programmers. In the UK for example, we need agricultural workers and hotel and hospitality staff, nurses and doctors. This week, the key players in the US technology industry – Apple, Alphabet, Facebook and Uber – wrote to President Trump saying his new curbs on immigration will have a disastrous effect, and they need to recruit the best people from all over the world, no matter what their faith or their birthplace. Other business leaders have echoed these sentiments.

In Britain, the Brexit vote revealed that a substantial number of voters fear that immigration is bad for Britain, when key industries (and the NHS) could not function without foreign workers. Ironically, patriotic Brits rely on others to welcome us, should we decide to leave the UK and make our homes elsewhere. We lead the developed world in one area – emigration.