Donald Trump has blasted a refugee agreement between Australia and the United States as a "dumb deal".
The president has pledged to study the deal, which he claimed would see America take "thousands of illegal immigrants" from Australia, despite repeated assurances from senior US officials he would honour the agreement.
"Do you believe it? The Obama Administration agreed to take thousands of illegal immigrants from Australia. Why? I will study this dumb deal!" he tweeted on Thursday afternoon.
Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull said despite the tweet the president, his press spokesman, and the US embassy had confirmed Mr Trump would honour the deal.
"Well, that is his tweet. I'm telling you what has been said to us, and said by his spokesman, and said by the embassy," he told Sydney's 2GB radio on Thursday afternoon.
"This is not a deal that he would've done or that he would regard as a good deal.
"But the question is, will he commit to honour the deal? And he has given that commitment."
Mr Turnbull would not say whether Mr Trump labelled the deal "dumb" or otherwise in their phone conversation on Sunday.
He said the pair spoke frankly, and he made the case as "powerfully and persuasively" as he could.
But he denied reports the call ended abruptly or in anger.
"The call ended courteously."
Labor frontbencher Richard Marles says the prime minister must declare exactly what agreement he reached with Mr Trump.
"Labor supports this deal going ahead - and it's time Malcolm Turnbull stood up and levelled with Australians about whether he has a deal or not," Mr Marles said.
"And if the prime minister doesn't know whether he has a deal, he needs to tell us what his plan is now that he has failed to stand up for Australia's interests and values."
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