'That infuriated me' - Jacinda Ardern reveals how comparison to Trump on immigration by Wall Street Journal angered her

April 18, 2018

Jacinda Ardern has revealed to a US TV talk show she was extremely angered by the Wall Street Journal's comparison of her to Donald Trump on immigration last year.

NBC's Today Show aired an interview with the Prime Minister overnight in which Host Cynthia McFadden brought up the newspaper's tweet and report during the New Zealand election campaign last September.

"The Wall Street Journal tweeted that you were Donald Trump of New Zealand when it came to immigration," Ms Fadden said.

Ms Ardern quickly responded.

"That infuriated me. It infuriated me," she said.

"We are a party who was at the same time were campaigning to double our refugee quota. We are a nation built on immigration," she added.

"I'm only a third-generation New Zealander. The suggestion in any way that New Zealand wasn't an open, outward-facing country, the suggestion that I was leading something that was counter to that value, made me extremely angry."

In it's September 5, 2017 tweet, which linked through to an article, the Wall Street Journal said, "Meet New Zealand's Justin Trudeau-except she's more like Trump on immigration."

"A tightening election race in New Zealand has its roots in anxiety over immigration and the rise of a leader who wasn't even her party's first choice when campaigning began more than a month ago," the newspaper wrote.

The NBC segment titled 'Pregnant and in Power' was pre-recorded at Ms Ardern's Auckland home before her current trip to Europe and the UK.

She was also asked about the Daily Mail's January piece by Liz Jones, which said, "Surely your country shouldn't have to compete for your attention with a colicky toddler." 

"Eh," Ms Ardern replied, before laughing. 

"Women multitask every single day. Every single day. The sentiment in that piece suggests that women can only be mothers or other. Can I be a Prime Minister and a mother? Absolutely. Absolutely. Will I have help to do that? Yes."

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