Karl Stefanovic made quite the fashion statement when he touched down at Sydney Airport on Monday.
The former Today show star appeared to take his style cues from Donald Trump as he waltzed through arrivals in a MAGA-esque fire engine red cap.
The bold accessory was emblazoned with the words Make Rodeo Great Again and stamped with an Australian flag.
The 51-year-old media veteran opted for an otherwise muted look, donning a black zip-up and matching t-shirt paired with blue jeans, ensuring all eyes were on his headwear of choice.
Karl could barely keep the smile off his face as he wheeled luggage through the arrivals terminal with wife Jasmine and daughter Harper in tow.
The sighting comes after Karl divided fans by sharing a photo of himself posing with One Nation leader Pauline Hanson at the Mount Isa Rodeo in Queensland.
Karl Stefanovic (pictured) made quite the fashion statement when he touched down at Sydney Airport on Monday
The former Today show star appeared to take his style cues from Donald Trump as he waltzed through arrivals in a MAGA-esque fire engine red cap
Karl looked at ease in a black cowboy hat and a Ringers Western shirt, while shoe designer Jasmine, 42, paired a crisp white blouse with blue jeans, sunglasses and a cream hat.
Hanson, 72, opted for a bright orange hat and a colourful floral shirt.
Sharing the photograph with his Instagram followers, Karl wrote: ‘Luckiest girls in the world,’ before tagging Hanson, Jasmine, Ringers Western and the rodeo.
The post attracted more than 24,000 likes, but Karl’s appearance with the outspoken senator sparked a sharply divided reaction in the comments.
‘No way, not Pauline! Karl what have you done?!’ one disappointed follower wrote.
‘Grifters convention,’ another remarked, while one person asked: ‘Where’s the vomit button??’
Another critic joked: ‘Inner city private school rich kid larping as a cowboy,’ while someone else branded the trio ‘the wannabes of country’.
But others praised the gathering and backed Karl’s friendship with Hanson.
The bold accessory was emblazoned with the words Make Rodeo Great Again and stamped with an Australian flag
Karl could barely keep the smile off his face as he wheeled luggage through the arrivals terminal with wife Jasmine and daughter Harper in tow
‘This is what Australia needs!!!’ one supporter declared.
‘Genuine people, you can tell by smiles,’ another said.
One fan went even further, writing: ‘Karl for Prime Minister leading the One Nation party! My dreams coming true!!!’
‘Wouldn’t it be AMAZING if Karl joined One Nation,’ another added.
A self-described immigrant also defended Hanson in a lengthy comment, saying they respected what the senator stood for and argued that newcomers should embrace and honour Australia.
Hanson publicly offered Karl a job with One Nation before he was dropped by Channel Nine amid the fallout from his controversial interview with British far-right activist Tommy Robinson on The Karl Stefanovic Show.
Speaking on Sky News, Hanson claimed Nine would be ‘bloody stupid’ to sack the longtime Today host and accused the network of moving too far to the political left.
‘Hey, guess what, Karl? I’m looking for someone in my office. I want some advisers in my office,’ the senator said.
The sighting comes after Karl divided fans by sharing a photo of himself posing with One Nation leader Pauline Hanson (right) at the Mount Isa Rodeo in Queensland. (Karl’s wife Jasmine Yarbrough is pictured left)
‘So, Karl, come and apply for a job with me. We’ll have a great time. We’ll put them all on notice and we’ll get the country back on track.’
Karl uploaded his interview with Robinson to YouTube before removing it less than 12 hours later following widespread backlash.
During the episode, the pair discussed Islam, immigration and Australian politics.
Hanson subsequently reposted the pulled interview on her own YouTube channel and leapt to the defence of her ‘good friend’ Karl on X.
‘It looks like they’re trying to sack my good friend Karl Stefanovic for this video with Tommy Robinson!’ she wrote.
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The senator argued Robinson’s comments offered a warning for Australia about immigration and radical Islam, and claimed Karl had been attempting to draw attention to issues confronting the country.
She concluded her post by asking: ‘Have Channel Nine become just as bad as the ABC?’
Karl left the network in June, following his interview with Robinson, which was uploaded but then deleted from his independent podcast, The Karl Stefanovic Show.
The Sydney Morning Herald, which is owned by Nine Entertainment, had earlier indicated the decision was made in part to ‘defuse a major advertiser boycott’.
This is despite Karl, who has hosted the Today show on and off for two decades, still having six months to run on his contract.