No images? Click here 2 August 2023Trump charged but alliance energisedBy Victoria Cooper, Research Editor Despite renewed turmoil in the United States over former President Donald Trump's third indictment today, the 33rd annual Australia-United States Ministerial Consultations (AUSMIN) hosted in Brisbane last weekend confirm the Australia-US alliance has never been stronger. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin and Australia’s Foreign Minister Penny Wong and Defence Minister Richard Marles, promised to deepen Australia-US defence and security cooperation in new ways, seeing several key announcements:
As the final leg in a US diplomatic blitz around the Pacific, and amid new Australian defence ties with Japan and South Korea, this year's AUSMIN is yet another sign that both countries intend to work more closely with each other, and allies and partners in the region, on areas of mutual interest to contribute to greater regional stability and deterrence. Read the full 2023 AUSMIN Joint Statement. NEWS WRAPTrump's third indictment
![]() “We want a region and a world which is peaceful, stable and prosperous and we understand the importance of working closely with you to ensure that it is.” Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong to US Secretary of State Antony Blinken | 28 July 2023 EVENT The GOP debate breakdown: What just happened?In late August, Republican presidential candidates will gather in Milwaukee for the biggest event of the 2024 election cycle so far: the first Republican presidential debate. With the power to make or break the candidates jockeying to stand out in the crowded GOP field, the first debate is a critical step in deciding who will ultimately face off against likely Democratic nominee Joe Biden in the 2024 presidential election. While the stage may be set, much remains unknown. Mere hours after the Republican debate, the United States Studies Centre (USSC) invites you to a public forum featuring USSC politics experts Associate Professor David Smith, Senior Lecturer Dr Gorana Grgic and Research Editor Victoria Cooper in conversation with Director of Research Jared Mondschein. TYPE COST IN CASE YOU MISSED IT Did you USSC?
BY THE NUMBERS Indictment unlikely to erode Trump supportPresident Donald Trump was indicted for an unprecedented third time on Tuesday 1 August following a federal investigation into the former president’s alleged attempts to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election. With Trump expected to appear in Washington DC on Thursday for his first appearance before a magistrate judge, the ensuing case will add yet another complication to Trump’s 2024 campaign schedule and finances, as he continues to juggle his defence in these, now five, legal cases with his presidential aspirations. Some may think the suite of serious criminal allegations facing Donald Trump present an opening for other Republican hopefuls to prise away needed support for their own bids at the Republican nomination. However, as the New York Times/ Siena poll released this week revealed, Donald Trump’s lead over the other candidates in the Republican primary race only seems to grow. The former president has seized the support of 54 per cent of Republican primary voters, and a landslide 37-point lead over the next closest candidate, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis. No candidate with a lead of such a margin has gone on to lose their party nomination in the last 50 years. The latest indictment is unlikely to erode this lead. The poll showed a vast majority (71 per cent) of Republican primary voters believe that Trump is not guilty of serious federal crimes. Of that number, the majority (56 per cent) believe not only were Trump's actions not criminal, but that he “did nothing wrong” in his handling of classified documents. Manage your email preferences | Forward this email to a friend United States Studies Centre |