Australia has been urged to "work around" Donald Trump in order to avoid the chaos and dysfunction of the latest tenant of the White House.
Lowy Institute executive director Michael Fullilove says he has no doubt the Trump presidency is "failing", describing the US president as "the lord of misrule".
He said the Trump presidency had profound implications for Australia and the rest of the world, however the answer didn't lie in ridiculing it but finding fresh ways of engaging with it.
"There are plenty of honourable, professional officials in the US government and I think what we have to do is try to work around the president, work with them, work with other countries, work with other capitals, work with other institutions," Dr Fullilove told the National Press Club on Wednesday.
The most recent Lowy poll found 60 per cent of Australians say Mr Trump causes them to have an unfavourable opinion of the US.
And the number who trust America a great deal to act responsibly in the world has halved from 40 per cent to 20 per cent.
However, more than three-quarters of Australians still say the alliance is either very or fairly important for Australia's security.
"A lot of Australians will find the prospect of dealing with, working with, Mr Trump distasteful but we need to grimace and bear it," Dr Fullilove said.
"The alternative - to turn away from the United States and let Mr Trump's instincts have full rein - would be self-defeating."
Global institutions such as the G20 and the role of other world leaders would be even more important in reining in "an individual who is erratic and unpleasant but also the most powerful person on earth".
"We must do what we can in conjunction with our friends to stop America from going full Trump. We will need to be a busy ally."
Part of that work should involve Australia "prosecuting a larger foreign policy", bolstering international institutions, working more closely with European partners and strengthening connections in Asia - a region in which Mr Trump seemed "uninterested".
Dr Fullilove said while the British government was "in real difficulties" and would continue to be distracted and divided by Brexit for many years, French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Angela Merkel offered great hope in terms of resisting the same political forces which propelled Trump into power.
Asked whether he believed Mr Trump would be impeached before his term was up, Dr Fullilove said more presidents had left office because of cholera than impeachment.
"I don't see the route to his removal before his first term is up. On the other hand, you look at what's happened in the last two weeks and you say 'how can this last?" - I don't think you can count it out."
