Todd Muller: From MAGA hat to 'cup of tea and lie down'

It got off to a headscratching start with a MAGA cap that stole the headlines, and ended with a desperate plea to journalists to ask questions about a flash new road election promise as the National Party and its leader's career was veering out of control.

Todd Muller's brief 53-day spell leading the largest Opposition party may best be remembered for a series of gaffes that started before he'd even shifted into the leader's office.

Muller may rue the day he ever thought owning and displaying a pro-Trump Make America Great Again cap in his workplace was a good idea. It didn't take long for it to become the focus of interviews soon after the two-term politician rolled incumbent leader Simon Bridges.

Todd Muller may rue the day he ever thought owning and displaying a pro-Trump Make America Great Again cap in his workplace was a good idea. Photo / Twitter

Explaining he was an avid collector of American political memorabilia, and despite protestations he not only had the polarising red cap but also a Hillary Clinton badge, he insisted people should not read into anything it and planned on keeping it pride of place when he shifted into his new office.

But after a week of widespread condemnation he acknowledged it would stay in the packing box out of respect for the different perspectives held by others.

National Party leader Todd Muller leaving the media scrum after a humorous exchange over TikTok videos on June 23. Photo / Mark Mitchell

This was quickly followed by a blunder defending the diversity in the new Muller-led cabinet reshuffle.

With a new line-up, Muller and his deputy Nikki Kaye were asked how many Maori politicians were in the shadow cabinet.

"Shane Reti, and Paula Bennett," Muller replied.

"And Paul Goldsmith obviously is of Ngāti Porou," added Kaye.

However, that was news to a surprised Goldsmith who said: "No, I'm not Maori," contradicting what Muller and Kaye told reporters.

Dealing with the fallout of the Covid-19 patient list scandal embroiling former National Party stalwart Michelle Boag and now-resigned MP Hamish Walker, Muller was left pleading with journalists to ask questions about a $1.5 billion new road election promise.

Hoping the scandal that had come to a head earlier that day was over Muller responded to many questions about Walker before he visibly had had enough.

"Any questions about the road?", he asked slightly desperately, looking around as everyone awkwardly laughed.

"Come on, $1.5 billion four-lane highway. Fantastic."

People on social media branded the remark as "embarrassing" while political commentator David Cormack said it was "a truly iconic moment in #nzpol".

The day finished on an equally bizarre note.

With the general election less than 100 days away Muller's press secretary declined an interview with popular Newstalk ZB drive host Heather du Plessis-Allan because the leader was "having a cup of tea and a lie-down".