US President Donald Trump left the G7 summit in Calgary on 16 June, a day earlier than planned, citing the rapidly worsening conflict between Israel and Iran. His early departure prompted the cancellation of what would have been his first formal meeting with Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese. Before departing, Trump called for the immediate evacuation of Tehran and instructed additional US defensive assets to deploy to the Middle East. The scrapped bilateral has intensified scrutiny of Canberra’s ties with Washington at a time when Australia is seeking exemptions from forthcoming US tariffs and monitoring the regional security crisis. Domestic critics argue Albanese now lacks direct access to the White House as key trade decisions approach; the United States is weighing duties as high as 200 per cent on pharmaceutical imports and 50 per cent on copper, with decisions due on 1 August. Adding to the political pressure, newly released Senate-estimate documents confirm that Australian Ambassador Kevin Rudd held a private meeting with Trump at the Trump International Golf Club in Florida on 11 January. While the government says Rudd routinely engages senior US officials, opposition lawmakers are demanding fuller disclosure of what was discussed, warning that secrecy could complicate tariff negotiations. The diplomatic turbulence comes just days before Albanese embarks on a 12–18 July trip to Beijing aimed at deepening economic cooperation with China. Analysts note that a weakened personal rapport with Washington could undercut Australia’s leverage in both trade talks and broader regional security deliberations.