When Donald Trump told the world recently that he knew what he was doing, I was not alone in being reminded that he felt the need in July 2018 to assure the world that he was a stable genius.

His now-you-see-them-now-you-don’t tariffs were also a reminder of his boast in 2019 that no one knew more about taxes than he did, a claim vehemently denied by his tax accountant.

At a time when leaders in the world are bewildered by Trump’s tariff and mass deportation blusters, some of his international right-wing admirers are going to ground.

One of them is Australia’s Opposition Leader Peter Dutton, a longtime Trump admirer.

It’s worth recalling that Trump insisted during the 2024 election campaign that he knew nothing about the Heritage Foundation’s Project 2025, nor was he interested in its long list of radical right-wing agenda items.

Items on the Project 2025 wish-list included; direct presidential control of all government departments, immediate appointment of Trump loyalists to all agencies, withdrawal of funds for reproductive services, building a more muscular border force that would deport millions of immigrants, ending the energy ‘war’ on oil and gas, closing down entire ‘woke’ public service departments, recognition of only two genders, and the abandonment of diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programs.

Now that Trump occupies the Oval Office, he is implementing item by item, with gusto, the wish-list about which he not long ago denied all knowledge. It would be wise to assume that Dutton has been observing the brazen Trump about-face with considerable interest.

While Dutton’s policy utterances on the evils of Australian public servants working from home have now been officially reversed, his base has heard the message.

He knows they like the policy and they are hopeful he can be relied upon to reinstate and implement it if he wins government. The policy ticked plenty of Trump boxes, but is based on at........

© The New Daily