Nearly six months have passed since Mr Trump鈥檚 inauguration and Mr Albanese is yet to secure an in-person meeting with the US President.
Australian producers have been slugged with tariffs on most exports to the US, including duties of up to 50 per cent on steel and aluminium, and doubts loom large about the Trump administration鈥檚 commitment to AUKUS.
The Albanese government has also made Australia an outlier in the West on defence spending, refusing to budge at all after Washington鈥檚 call to hike it to 3.5 per cent amid alarm bells over China鈥檚 military build-up.
Commenting on Mr Albanese鈥檚 management of the alliance, former ambassador to the US Joe Hockey warned on Friday (AEST) refusing to engage in deal-making with Mr Trump risked offending him.
鈥淚f you鈥檙e not willing to transact, it鈥檚 a snub,鈥 he told Sky News in Washington.
鈥淭he fundamental point for the Albanese government, or the Turnbull or Morrison government, whoever it is 鈥 you have to be prepared to transact.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a living, breathing relationship. It goes two ways.鈥
The warning came after Mr Trump threatened further tariffs against Spain for refusing to boost its defence budget in line with other NATO countries.
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro S谩nchez was the only NATO member leader not to agree to hike military spending to 5 per cent of GDP at this week鈥檚 summit.
Mr Trump in turn accused Mr S谩nchez of wanting 鈥渁 free ride鈥 and said Spain would 鈥渉ave to pay it back to us on trade鈥, playing into critics who argue the Trump administration鈥檚 鈥淎merica First鈥 agenda is isolationist.
Mr Hockey, a former Coalition treasurer, now runs US-based consultancy Bondi Partners.
He rejected claims Mr Trump was leading the US into an 鈥渋solationist phase鈥.
鈥淭hey鈥檙e involved in Ukraine, they鈥檙e involved in the Middle East, they 鈥 stopped the war between India and Pakistan, and 鈥 tomorrow they鈥檙e signing a peace agreement between two warring countries in Africa,鈥 Mr Hockey said.
鈥淚f that鈥檚 isolationism, then we鈥檝e got a whole new definition.鈥
Mr Hockey said the Trump administration offered an opportunity for the West to advance its goals and crucially, for Australia, counter China鈥檚 increasing aggression.
鈥淭he bottom line is, we should be concerned about our neighbourhood and the aggression of China, of Beijing,鈥 he said.
鈥淚t is Beijing, Chinese people are great people, this is Beijing鈥檚 aggression that we need to stand up to.
鈥淎nd now we have an open display of incredible power to be able to deliver on the objectives of the Western world.
鈥淎nd we should be embracing that, not fearing it, not being worried or afraid to go to the Oval Office or anywhere else.鈥