Australian golf legend says he helped restore Trump-Turnbull relationship

Australian golf legend Greg Norman, also known as “The Shark,” reportedly helped restore President Trump’s relationship with Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull after Trump lashed out at Turnbull on a phone call shortly after taking office. 

“They did get off to a rocky start, but at the end of the day I think President Trump started to understand the depth and the strength of the relationship between the United States and Australia over all these years, 100 years,” Norman told The Washington Post.

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“He started to realize, OK, little brother is a powerful little brother,” said Norman, who is friends with both leaders and has repeatedly praised Trump since he became president. 

Norman said he was eager to help foster a relationship between Trump and Turnball, including by stressing the historic importance of Australia to Trump shortly before he entered office. He later also had lunch with Turnbull in Sydney, according to the Post.

The athlete has said Turnbull wants to see Trump succeed as president. The Australian leader is set to visit Trump on Friday in Washington.

“President Trump looks forward to further enhancing our partnership and alliance, and demonstrating our shared commitment to the democratic values that underpin peace and prosperity around the world,” White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said in a statement earlier this month.

Relations between the two leaders got off to a rocky start a year ago after Trump complained about an Obama-era agreement between the two countries over refugee resettlement.

Trump reportedly told Turnbull the conversation was “the worst call by far” Trump had with a foreign leader as president. 

“I have had it,” Trump told Turnbull, according to a transcript obtained by The Washington Post. “I have been making these calls all day, and this is the most unpleasant call all day.”

“Putin was a pleasant call,” he said. “This is ridiculous.”