Australia needs to get real about Trump’s changing America

Mark Carney’s 2026 Davos speech warned that American leadership is no longer a dependable anchor for the global order, a message that rattled Australia’s strategic planners. In the wake of Trump’s “America‑First” rhetoric, Canberra has doubled down on AUKUS while also signing a mutual defence treaty with Papua New Guinea in October 2025 and a defence cooperation agreement with Indonesia in 2026. Greg Moriarty, newly appointed ambassador to Washington, is tasked with reassuring Australian voters that China, not the United States, remains the primary strategic threat. The article argues that Australia must shift from mythic alliance rhetoric to pragmatic hedging, deepening ties with Japan, India and Southeast Asia while investing in its own military and diplomatic capabilities.