In wake of tense Trump call, Pence aims to soothe Australia
In wake of tense Trump call, Pence aims to soothe Australia SYDNEY (AP) — More than two months after President Donald Trump got into a spat with the leader of Australia, Vice President Mike Pence will be working to smooth over any lingering hard feelings. Pence will meet with Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull on Saturday as part of his 10-day, four-country trip to Asia. His agenda includes reassuring Turnbull about the state of the unusually strained U.S.-Australia alliance and laying out the new administration's priorities for the Pacific Rim. "Partly, you could call it a diplomatic clean-up mission," said Michael Auslin of the American Enterprise Institute, an analyst on Asian security issues. Auslin said Pence will be more focused on offering Turnbull a roadmap for how the two countries can work together during Trump's presidency. "It's about re-establishing relations." The affection the longtime allies usually share for ea...