Peter Dutton is also backpedaling faster than me that time I almost ran over a red-belly black snake while cycling, when it comes to his previous attempts to link himself to Donald Trump.

As the SMH’s David Crowe has reported today, there are reasons for it. Polling reasons, but also just the vibe.

This is why the Temu Trump label has taken off and why it is causing Dutton damage – he tried to link himself with a populist leader but ended up carrying the stink of it instead.