Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese emerged victorious in the country’s elections Saturday after support for the right-wing opposition dropped amid U.S. President Donald Trump’s tariff war.
Albanese was up against the Liberal Party’s Peter Dutton, an ex-police officer.
“We didn’t do well enough during this campaign, that much is obvious tonight, and I accept full responsibility for that,” Dutton said as he conceded defeat.
Albanese the first Australian prime minister to win a second consecutive three-year term in 21 years, according to the AP.
Support for the opposition Liberal-National Coalition had been high prior to Trump’s return to office, in part due to anger over rising housing costs, NBC News reported. Dutton had touted policies similar to Trump’s, including pledging to reduce legal migration to Australia and slash tens of thousands of civil servant jobs.
But Trump’s continued global trade war, including against Australia, shook the confidence of voters who may have otherwise voted for the opposition. While Trump paused his “reciprocal tariffs” in April, it may have been too late to sway voters.
An April poll from the Lowy Institute, a political think tank, showed that Australians’ trust in the U.S. has dropped by 20 points since 2024. Only 36% of Australians trust the Trump administration, though 80% of respondents said they still believe it’s important to have an alliance with America.
Just days before the election, opinion polls showed Albanese and the center-left Labor Party eking out a victory against the Liberal-National Coalition and Dutton.
Simon Jackman, an honorary professor at the University of Sydney, told CNN the opposition was leading in January.
“Then along comes Donald Trump… and the election just pivoted,” Jackman said.
He added that the Trump administration’s attacks on Australia may have been a factor.
“The narrative flipped from being sort of looking backwards at Labor’s economic performance to looking forward and [saying], ‘Oh my goodness, the world is very different and dangerous and insecure, and our closest ally and strategic partner is saying all these horrible things about us. I thought the Americans liked us. What’s going on?’” Jackman told CNN.
In March, Dutton attempted to distance himself from Trump by telling critics, “I’m my own person.”
Saturday’s election results are just the latest rebuke of Trump and his influence on the world stage. After the U.S. president spent months attacking Canada ― including by threatening to make it the 51st U.S. state ― Canadians voted against Trump’s interests, and Prime Minister Mark Carney claimed victory.
“President Trump is trying to break us so that America can own us,” Carney said during his victory speech. “That will never, ever happen.”