Nine News reporter Jonathan Kearsley has questioned US President Donald Trump over AUKUS as the debate continues around if he misunderstood or misheard the question.

Trump was hosting British Prime Minister Keir Starmer at the White House today when a journalist asked if the pair would be discussing the military partnership between the US, United Kingdom and Australia.

“What does that mean?” Trump replied.

Trump seemed to pick up on what AUKUS was when the journalist clarified it was the alliance between the three nations.

But debate has emerged on whether he had mistaken AUKUS for orcas due to the journalist’s accent.

Kearsley saw Trump emerge from the West Wing at the White House and used the opportunity to question him about AUKUS.

“Mr President, do you know what AUKUS is, sir?” he said.

“Do you know what the AUKUS alliance is, sir?

“What’s the AUKUS alliance, sir? Do you fully support it?”

Trump and other officials and aides stopped, turned towards Kearsley and listened before turning back around and re-entering the White House.

Kearsley told Nine’s Today show that Trump may not have heard or understood the question as there was about 30 to 40 metres between them. Pronunciation may also have been an issue.

He added that Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent had told him earlier: “I think we’re going to have to limit the questions to Americans who he can understand.”

“I think the president may well have, perhaps, at times, thought of orcas which are killer whales,” he said.