Milwaukee, Wisconsin | Australian ambassador to the US Kevin Rudd has moved to shore up his standing among MAGA Republicans, texting vice president candidate J.D. Vance and meeting key Donald Trump allies as he scuttles the idea that he might be replaced under a new president.

“I think you’ll find there’s a wide fabric of relationships between myself as ambassador and a vast array of individuals who would be likely to form the nucleus of the incoming Trump administration,” Mr Rudd told reporters at the Republican National Convention on Tuesday (Wednesday AEST).