President Donald Trump gestures as he concludes his remarks during a dinner aboard the USS Intrepid in New York on May 4. | AP Photo Trump touts U.S.-Australia alliance — and Rupert Murdoch

President Donald Trump on Thursday celebrated the bond between the United States and Australia — a bond, he said was “sealed with the blood of our fathers and grandfathers.”

And, amid the praise for fallen American and Australian soldiers, Trump also took the time to praise one Australian who has helped boost his own career: Rupert Murdoch, the billionaire chairman of News Corp., which owns Fox News.


“From the beaches of Normandy — a vicious, vicious fight — to the jungles of Vietnam, to the desert landscapes of the Middle East … Americans have had no better friends than the Australians, I mean that,” Trump said at the Intrepid Sea, Air and Space Museum in New York City.

The venue, aboard the aircraft carrier USS Intrepid, was chosen to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the WWII Battle of Coral Sea, in which the U.S. and Australia stopped a Japanese advance in the Pacific.

Trump also recalled that Murdoch had frequently called on Trump to donate to the American Australian Association, which was sponsoring the event.

“I said, ‘What do I have to do with that, Rupert?’” Trump recalled Thursday to laughter from the crowd. “That was money well-spent.”

Much of Trump’s speech, though, was dedicated to saluting the American and Australian militaries. Trump passionately recounted the story of an American pilot who was killed in the Battle of the Coral Sea.

“We hope to be worthy of the sacrifices of every service member who was made in our name, past and present,” Trump said.

The speech took place nearly two hours later than planned, after Trump had delayed his trip to New York for hours to see how the Obamacare repeal vote turned out. The wait proved worth it, as Trump celebrated in the Rose Garden Thursday afternoon with House Republicans after they voted 217-213 to advance the American Health Care Act, which would repeal and replace much of Barack Obama’s signature domestic achievement.

The change of plans also meant Trump’s meeting with Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull was pushed back. That delay came after Trump had a contentious initial phone call with Turnbull , especially regarding a refugee deal negotiated under the Obama administration. Trump originally was scheduled to meet with Turnbull around 4 p.m. But instead met with him in New York City after 7 p.m. upon Trump’s delayed arrival in New York.

Breaking News Alerts Get breaking news when it happens — in your inbox. Email Sign Up By signing up you agree to receive email newsletters or alerts from POLITICO. You can unsubscribe at any time. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

The two had planned to meet at a Manhattan hotel but instead met at the Intrepid.

“We get along great. … We have a fantastic relationship, I love Australia, I always have,” Trump told reporters as he met with Turnbull.

“It's all worked out,” Trump said when asked about the refugee deal.

Trump played down reports that he and Turnbull had earlier in his presidency had a rough phone exchange — reportedly about the refugee issue. "It got a little bit testy but that’s okay," Trump said. "We have a very good relationship and I'm very proud of it.”

Trump, speaking about the health care bill, even remarked that Australia has a superior health care system to that in the United States: "You have better health care than we do," he said.

Australia has the type of government-funded universal health care that American conservatives have long resisted.

“We’ve had a very good relationship and I’m very proud of the relationship,” Trump reiterated in his remarks aboard the Intrepid.

The trip also marked Trump’s first return to his home city of New York since being sworn in as president.