Julian Assange jokes he’d run a hotel-style embassy with ‘luxury suites for whistleblowers’ as ambassador
Julian Assange has jokingly said he would open a hotel-style embassy. Photo: Getty
WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange has joked he would still like US President Donald Trump to push for his appointment as Australia’s ambassador in Washington DC so he could open a hotel-style embassy “with luxury immunity suites for whistleblowers”.
Mr Trump’s son, Donald Jr, released private Twitter messages between himself and WikiLeaks on Monday after a report by The Atlantic.
Queensland-born Mr Assange announced he could not confirm the messages and accused The Atlantic of taking them out of context, but on Tuesday he took a tongue-in-cheek tack.
“Dear @DonaldJTrumpJr our offer of being ambassador to the US still stands,” Mr Assange wrote.
“I could open a hotel style embassy in DC with luxury immunity suites for whistleblowers.
“The public will get a turbo-charged flow of intel about the latest CIA plots to undermine democracy.
“DM [direct message] me.”
Dear @DonaldJTrumpJr our offer of being ambassador to the US still stands. I could open a hotel style embassy in DC with luxury immunity suites for whistleblowers. The public will get a turbo-charged flow of intel about the latest CIA plots to undermine democracy. DM me.#vault8
— Defend Assange Campaign (@DefendAssange) November 14, 2017
Mr Assange has been holed up in the Ecuadorian embassy in London since 2012 after the South American nation granted him asylum.
In the released Twitter messages, WikiLeaks suggested the US president heap praise on Mr Assange.
“In relation to Mr Assange: Obama/Clinton placed pressure on Sweden, UK and Australia (his home country) to illicitly go after Mr. Assange,” WikiLeaks wrote.
“It would be real easy and helpful for your dad to suggest that Australia appoint Assange ambassador to DC.”
The private tweets were turned over to members of US Congress probing Russian interference in the 2016 election.
Here is the entire chain of messages with @wikileaks (with my whopping 3 responses) which one of the congressional committees has chosen to selectively leak. How ironic! 1/3 pic.twitter.com/SiwTqWtykA
— Donald Trump Jr. (@DonaldJTrumpJr) November 14, 2017
– AAP
