'I have this Russian guy...': Malcolm Turnbull mocks Donald Trump at press event, leaked audio shows

Malcolm Turnbull, the Australian prime minister, mocked Donald Trump at a press event on Wednesday night, including having a dig at the president's Russian woes.  

Mr Turnbull did an impersonation of his American counterpart during a speech at Parliament House's Mid Winter Ball in Canberra.

The event  is usually off the record, however a recording of the prime minister's remarks was released by Nine News. 

In the audio clip, Mr Turnbull is heard making fun of the meeting he had with Mr Trump in New York last month, which was designed to smooth relations after an angry phone call between the pair in January. 

"It was beautiful. It was the most beautiful putting-me-at-ease ever," Mr Turnbull said, drawing laughter from the audience. 

The prime minister went on to poke fun at Mr Trump's repeated attacks on "fake news" - and even alluded to the investigations into the Trump campaign's links with Russia.

"The Donald and I, we are winning and winning in the polls. We are winning so much. We are winning like we have never won before. 

"We are winning in the polls. We are! We are! Not the fake polls, not the fake polls, they're the ones we're not winning in. We're winning in the real polls. You know, the online polls. They are so easy to win. I know that. Did you know that? I kind of know that. They are so easy to win. 

"I have this Russian guy...Believe me, it's true, it is true..."

Mr Turnbull has yet to comment on the leaked recording. 

During the infamous phone call soon after Mr Trump was sworn in as president, he was said to have become furious when he learnt about an Obama-era deal to move refugees from Australia to the US and slammed the phone down on Mr Turnbull.

"They said we had a rough phone call. We didn't really have a rough phone call," Mr Trump said in a speech on board the USS Intrepid in New York. "It got a little bit testy. But that's okay."