An Australian politician has officially changed his name to Aussie Trump, citing inspiration from former U.S. President Donald Trump, a move, he says, is a direct protest against Western Australia’s ruling center-left Labor Party.
Ben Dawkins, an independent MP in the upper house of Western Australia’s parliament, now appears as “Aussie Trump” on the state’s parliamentary website.
Checks confirm that he has also updated his X (formerly Twitter) username to “Hon. Aussie Trump MLC.”
In a post on X, he declared his opposition to the WA Labor government, calling it “tyrannical and systematically corrupt.” He urged voters to reject Labor in the next election, using slogans such as “Vote Labor Out!” and “Drill Baby Drill!”—the latter mirroring Donald Trump’s push for increased oil and gas extraction in the U.S.
Hope you are all well – nothing to report here other than that I've launched a political protest against the tyranny and systematic corruption of the Labor government in WA. Having a few days off but can discuss later, Aussie. https://t.co/0KQzFE7iHb
— Hon. Aussie Trump MLC (@benjidawkins) February 5, 2025To prove the legitimacy of his name change, Dawkins posted a photo of a legal confirmation document from Western Australia’s Registry of Births, Deaths, and Marriages.
Dear X – I am under review – here is a photo to show that it's genuine, thank you, Aussie @elonmusk pic.twitter.com/9IpFiYZaqC
— Hon. Aussie Trump MLC (@benjidawkins) February 5, 2025Speaking to Australian news outlet 9News, he said, “I want to be like Trump in the sense of calling out woke leftist nonsense.” He even extended an invitation to Donald Trump, saying, “I would love you to reach out, Donald, just ring the office here.
While Dawkins’ move has drawn attention, Western Australia Premier Roger Cook dismissed it as a stunt. Speaking at a press conference, Cook said, “This is simply attention-seeking stuff. I’m not sure how much lower he can go.”
Dawkins’ name change comes at a crucial time, as Western Australia prepares for its state elections in March. Additionally, Australians will head to the polls for a nationwide vote before May 17, 2025.
