Under fire from Trump-world, Rudd highlights his networking abilities

Kevin Rudd has highlighted his close ties to US politicians from across the political spectrum as the Trump adviser who taunted him about his future as Australia’s top diplomat in the United States was appointed to a senior White House role.

In his first social media post on his official diplomatic account since congratulating Donald Trump on his election victory last week, Rudd uploaded photos of him mingling with three Republican members of Congress and two Democrats at an Australian embassy event in Washington, DC.

Discussion about Rudd’s future in Washington has intensified since Trump’s election, with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese insisting he is standing by his former Labor colleague and the ambassador ploughing ahead with his diplomatic duties.

Kevin Rudd (centre) with Republican congressmen Andy Barr (left) and Pete Ricketts at the annual Friends of Australia Congressional Caucus dinner in Washington.Credit: Kevin Rudd/X

“The US-Australia relationship is going from strength to strength,” Rudd said in a subsequent post with a video of the annual dinner for the Friends of Australia Congressional Caucus, a bipartisan group of congresspeople who are passionate about the US-Australia alliance.

He said the US and Australia had “a bond that has strengthened across generations and across the political aisle in both countries. And it will continue to prosper in the years ahead”.

Rudd posted photos alongside Republican congressmen Andy Barr, Pete Ricketts and James Moylan, tagging them by their social media handles.

He also posted Democratic congressman Joe Courtney, who was honoured for his work promoting the US-Australia alliance, and Democratic congresswoman Susie Lee.

Rudd last week scrubbed critical comments about Trump from his online record, including posts in which he excoriated Trump as “the most destructive president in history” and a “traitor to the West”.

Senior Trump adviser Dan Scavino posted an image on X earlier this week showing sand trickling through an hourglass in response to a post by Rudd, an apparent message that his days as ambassador were numbered.

Two days later, Trump announced Scavino would serve in the White House as his deputy chief of staff, with a statement describing him as one of Trump’s “longest serving and most trusted aides”.

After arriving in Peru for the Asia-Pacific Economic Co-operation summit, Albanese said Rudd was “doing a good job ... and that’s been recognised across the political spectrum in Australia”.

However, Opposition Leader Peter Dutton has not been totally supportive, describing Rudd’s position as a matter of judgment for Albanese.

Scavino, Trump’s former golf caddy, regularly travels with Trump on his private jet and has been described by Politico as “the ultimate insider” in Trump’s entourage.

“Trump frequently leans on his unassuming social media guru for affirmation and advice,” a 2019 Politico article said, adding that he “talks to the president more than just about anybody else aside from Trump’s own family members”.

Rudd has been backed by former prime ministers Malcolm Turnbull, Tony Abbott and Scott Morrison and ex-US ambassadors Joe Hockey and Arthur Sinodinos.

“It would be the worst possible signal to send to Trump to pull our ambassador out because he was critical of Trump in the past,” Turnbull said this week.

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