'I will tell your PM': When Trump threatened Australian reporter on being asked about his wealth. Watch video

US President Donald Trump had a fiery exchange with an Australian journalist on Wednesday, snapping back after being pressed about how much richer he has become since retaking the Oval Office.

The tense moment unfolded on the White House lawn as Trump prepared to board Marine One for his UK trip. John Lyons, ABC’s Americas editor, asked how much Trump’s personal fortune had grown since January, pointing out he is widely considered the wealthiest president in US history.

“I don’t know,” Trump shot back, stressing that his children run the Trump Organisation and most of his deals were done “long before” he returned to politics. “I’ve built buildings all my life,” he added.


But the exchange turned heated when Trump accused Lyons of “hurting Australia” with his questions. “They want to get along with me,” Trump warned, adding that he would bring it up with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese during their upcoming meeting. Then, in a dramatic gesture, Trump raised his finger to his lips and told the reporter: “Quiet.”


The clash all but confirmed that Trump and Albanese will hold their first face-to-face talks next week during the UN General Assembly in New York. Their earlier attempt to meet collapsed after Trump cut short his G20 trip in June.

Relations between Washington and Canberra are already strained, with the Trump administration reviewing the £176bn Aukus submarine deal, imposing a 10% tariff on Australian exports, and urging Canberra to raise defence spending to 3.5% of GDP.

Lyons later defended his question, calling it “a perfectly normal thing to do” and insisting it wasn’t meant to provoke. He said the fiery exchange just made for “a good bit of television.”

Sharing the video, one person wrote, "He’s not a diplomat; he’s a schoolyard Karen threatening people’s jobs over free speech."

Another commented, "Trump's got to learn that Australian Journalists aren't like his American cronies who are too scared of him to ask hard questions."