'Not the US’ doormat': Xenophon's bold statement in protest of Trump's policies

Outspoken SA senator Nick Xenophon has made a bold statement urging Australians to stand on their own two feet in protest of US President Donald Trump's controversial policies.

Xenophon arrived at the office on the first sitting day of Parliament holding a bespoke doormat with the words "Australia: not your doormat" printed around a picture of Trump's face.

The senator claimed the statement claiming Australia won’t be America's doormat, was a gift for rogue senator Cory Bernardi, who announced his Liberal Party split today.

“This doormat might be a good gift for Cory Bernardi given that as he’s such a big fan of Donald Trump... just to remind President Trump that Australia is not the US’ doormat when it comes to issues of foreign policy,” Xenophon told the media.

He said the tense phone call between the US president and Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turbull earlier this week discussing the refugee resettlement deal was "completely un-called for", given our nation has been a long-time ally of the US.

"I just think that this doormat probably says it all,” he said.

“The smug face of President Trump pretty much sums it up.”

The stunt came as a new study revealed half of coalition voters said they would back Australia in following Donald Trump's lead to make it harder for Muslim citizens to travel Down Under, Newspoll revealed.

While the US President's controversial travel ban to suspend visas of immigrants from seven Muslim-majority countries faced crucial legal hurdles, the new study showed more than half of Australians agreed with the plan.

Fifty-two per cent of Liberal and Nationals voters surveyed in the poll, published by The Australian on Tuesday, were in favour of copying the US President's dramatic plan.

Overall, voters were split on the issue, with the poll of more than 1700 showing 44 per cent supporting similar measures to be adopted here, and 45 per cent opposing such action. The remaining 11 per cent were uncommitted, the newspaper reported.

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Government minister Scott Ryan played down the poll, saying Australia's more selective immigration policy was based on those in need and in the national interest.

"I don't think there is a great comparison in any way between Australian and Amercian immigration," he told Sky News.

"Ours has been the most successful in the world under the coalition."

Opposition frontbencher Matt Thistlethwaite was heartened an overwhelming majority of Labor voters didn't support the Trump-style ban.

"I think it would be bad for Australia to do something like that and it doesn't reflect Australian values," he said.

In the wake of Trump's travel ban, Melbourne schoolboy Pouya Ghadirian, who is an Australian-Iranian citizen, was initially blocked from going to "space camp" in the US, but was later cleared for his March trip.

It was now up to the Australian government to explain to the population how restricting immigration would be bad for the economy, but also bad for Australian society.

On Sunday, Trump broadened his Twitter attacks on US District Judge James Robart in Seattle, who issued the temporary stay on Friday.

"Just cannot believe a judge would put our country in such peril," Trump tweeted.

"If something happens blame him and court system. People pouring in. Bad!"