Donald Trump Awards Scott Morrison With One Of The Highest Military Honours

With less than a month to go in his Presidency, Donald Trump has shown some love to his Australian counterpart.

The US President has bestowed one of the country's highest military honours to Scott Morrison for 'leadership in addressing global challenges'.

The Australian Prime Minister was also congratulated on his work in strengthening the relationship with the US.

Trump gave Morrison, as well as former-Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Legion of Merit.

Australia's ambassador to the US, Arthur Sinodinos, accepted the award on behalf of Mr Morrison.

A spokesperson for Scott Morrison said: "The prime minister was honoured to be awarded the US legion of merit overnight."

Mr Morrison isn't the first Aussie to receive the award, with former Prime Minister Robert Menzies, former Chiefs of Army Angus Campbell and David Morrison, and former Chief of the Defence Force and current Governor General David Hurley also getting the Legion of Merit.

It was clear during last year's visit to America that Trump liked Scott Morrison.

The Australian Prime Minister was the second world leader, after French President Emmanuel Macron, to get a state dinner at the White House.

It was the first White House state dinner for an Aussie leader since John Howard was invited by George W. Bush in 2006.

PA

During Morrison's trip last year, he went with Trump to a campaign rally in Wapakoneta, Ohio. The two praised each other's leadership qualities and added they 'share a lot of the same views'.

But Morrison has been warned by his predecessor that he has been getting too close with Trump over the years.

Former Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull believes Morrison should pull back on his relationship with the US leader to avoid making Australia look like a 'Trump-lite refuge in the southern hemisphere'.

Turnbull wants Australia to stop mirroring America's climate change policy under Trump and start copying Biden's approach.

He told the Financial Review: "He probably over-channeled Trump. He was clearly dazzled and duchessed by Trump and went full-in with that in a number of areas ... but the reality now is all of our major trading partners have got a net zero target [and] the Biden administration will return to the climate fray with real enthusiasm."

Topics: Australia

Stewart Perrie

Stewart Perrie is a Trending Journalist at LADbible. His first job was as a newsreader and journalist at the award winning Sydney radio station, Macquarie Radio. He was solely responsible for the content broadcast on multiple stations across Australia when the MH17, Germanwings and AirAsia disasters unfolded. Stewart has covered the conflict in Syria for LADbible, interviewing a doctor on the front line, and has contributed to the hugely successful UOKM8 campaign.

@stewartperrie