Politics With Michelle Grattan: Joe Hockey On How Australia Should Navigate A Second Trump Term

(MENAFN- The Conversation) American politics has become weekly high drama.

Donald Trump narrowly survived an assassination attempt last weekend. Now Joe Biden has COVID , and is under ever-increasing pressure to stand aside as the Democratic candidate for November's presidential election.

We're joined on the podcast by former Australian Ambassador to Washington, Joe Hockey, who's at this week's Republican convention.

Summing up the convention's mood, Hockey says:

The“enormous support” for Trump has been a marked contrast from the divisions Hockey witnessed at the 2016 Republican convention. Yet Hockey agrees the former US president seems unusually subdued this week.

Biden's most likely replacement

On the calls for Biden to step aside as candidate, Hockey says that up until now, he thought the president would fight on and stay. But the Biden office's push over the past 48 hours to speed up the confirmation process has backfired.

Biden's COVID diagnosis, coupled with his declining performances, means it's now looking more like the president will have to go.

Who's mostly like to replace Biden? Hockey says he would be“dumbfounded” if Vice President Kamala Harris didn't step up – particularly because, as of today, she's already out-polling Biden against Trump.

What it means for Australia

On Australia's relationship with a possible second Trump term, Hockey lays out what Prime Minister Anthony Albanese should do on his first phone call.

A divided America affects the world

On the trajectory of what is happening in the United States, Hockey says:

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