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Bridget McKenzie claims ‘knob’ comment could derail Trump tariff talks

A state premier’s rogue remark about the US Vice President could play a role in deciding if Australia gets a tariff carve out, a senior opposition senator claims.

A state premier’s rogue remark calling US Vice President JD Vance a “knob” could influence whether Australia gets exempted from sweeping Trump administration tariffs set to kick in this week, according to a senior coalition senator.

Western Australian Premier Roger Cook, who just secured a landslide victory at the state polls, made the comment during a pre-election event earlier this week.

He has since brushed it off as a “lighthearted, non-professional moment” and said he “didn’t mean any offence”.

But opposition infrastructure spokeswoman Bridget McKenzie on Sunday said the “juvenile” joke threatened Australia’s standing with the US.

“I don’t think calling the Vice President of America a knob whilst the Chinese are circumnavigating and just off the coast here in WA was the best strategy,” she told Sky News when asked for her thoughts on the tariff talks.

She acknowledged that Mr Cook did not represent the federal government, but suggested the Trump administration would not know the difference.

“America doesn’t look at it like (that),” Senator McKenzie said.

“This is our most important ally. The Coalition was able to secure an exemption when we were in government, when this last came up … but it was all based on relationships.”

She said Mr Cook’s comment was part of a pattern of unsavoury remarks from Labor about Donald Trump.

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