Federal Politics

White House lists the 'President of Australia' on call list

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After White House press secretary Sean Spicer repeatedly mispronounced the Australian Prime Minister's name as "Trunbull" - or was it "Trumbull?" - it seems he decided it easier to drop the moniker altogether.

In a statement published online by the Office of the Press Secretary on Saturday, the administration listed all the ways President Donald Trump had delivered "on his promise to make America safe again."

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Our PM has a new name

Listen as White House press secretary Sean Spicer mispronounces Malcolm Turnbull's name, leaving it to a colleague to get it right.

Towards the end of the statement sixteen world leaders were listed as having spoken with President Donald Trump about his "priority of national security."

Somewhere between the 'President of France, Francois Hollande' and 'The King Of Saudi Arabia, Salman bin Abd al-Aziz Al Saud' was 'The President of Australia.'

To add insult to injury, Australia's leader was the only one of the sixteen world leaders not to be identified by name and only by title (albeit incorrect).

The statement was published online on Saturday and still displayed the incorrect title early on Sunday morning, Sydney time. 

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However it was corrected to 'The Prime Minister of Australia Malcolm Turnbull' shortly after 8am on Sunday.

The gaffe follows a difficult week for the Prime Minister, in which his first phone conversation with President Trump was labelled "the worst call by far."

Mr Turnbull had attempted to confirm that the United States would honour its pledge to take in 1250 refugees from an Australian detention centre, but was met by a fuming Mr Trump, who declared it "the worst deal ever."

It is understood that the refugee deal will go ahead on the condition of  "extreme vetting". 

The Prime Minister's office has been contacted for comment.