The AUKUS submarine deal is under renewed scrutiny amid reports of internal dysfunction within the Trump administration, described by insiders as “Game of Thrones politics.”
While U.S. Secretary of State Marc Rubio has sought to reassure Australia that there are “no plans” to cancel the AUKUS agreement, he admitted the deal is under review — a move that blindsided many in Washington and its allies in Canberra and London.
Rubio, speaking from a Southeast Asian summit in Kuala Lumpur, said reviews are common during administration changes. “It doesn’t necessarily mean you’re against it,” he said, adding that U.S. policy on AUKUS remains unchanged — for now.
But a Politico report revealed the Pentagon launched the review unilaterally, led by Deputy Under Secretary of Defense Elbridge Colby, a known AUKUS sceptic. The State Department and National Security Council were reportedly not informed, nor were officials in Australia or the UK.
Former Biden administration figures told Politico that if such a move had happened under Biden without internal coordination, senior staff would have “lost it.”
British special envoy Sir Stephen Lovegrove, who conducted the UK’s AUKUS review, argued that most U.S. defence and diplomatic leaders remain supportive, calling the pact “critical” to trilateral security.
Meanwhile, sources say the Trump administration may now demand Australia provide either a public statement or private guarantee that U.S.-built nuclear submarines would be used in coordination with America in the event of conflict with China — along with significantly higher payments.
As Prime Minister Anthony Albanese prepares for a six-day trip to China, pressure is mounting from Washington to raise defence spending, something the Albanese government has so far resisted.
While officials continue to express confidence, the fractures within the Trump White House and the Pentagon’s hardline approach suggest the AUKUS alliance may be heading into choppy waters.
