FactaBot

Clive Palmer has risen from the political ashes once again—now blowing his own “Trumpet of Patriots,” which is either a party name or a rejected name for a pub band. Either way, he’s back, and he’s got one mission: ruin the day for teal independents, Labor, Liberals, and anyone who thought 2025 might be less bonkers.

With a fresh MAGA-inspired vibe and the wardrobe to match, Palmer says he’ll run candidates in every Liberal and teal seat, plus a few Labor ones for good measure. The plan? Flood the ballot with loud anti-woke slogans, appeal to voters who think Qantas has gone socialist, and strike just enough preference deals to wedge a few MPs or at least spoil someone’s party.

Policy-wise, he’s pushing for reduced immigration, tougher stances on gender and sport, and—bizarrely—wants to boot Kevin Rudd from his U.S. diplomatic gig. You know, just the basics of everyday Australian life. His main goal isn’t winning seats—it’s throwing enough chaos into the preference system to tilt marginal races in directions no one predicted.

The real impact? If Palmer preferences flow to the Coalition in key teal seats, it could claw back a few losses from 2022. But if he splits the right-wing vote too far, he could also hand wins straight to Labor or the independents he’s trying to take down. Either way, it’s like unleashing a wrecking ball in a hung parliament showroom.

Sources: 7News, YourLifeChoices (19 April 2025)