Sorry Kevin, your sudden change of heart on Trump won’t wash

Kevin Rudd can’t use the same defence as Vice Presidential candidate JD Vance when it comes to Donald Trump, because his comments were made well after Trump’s stint in the Oval Office, says Erin Molan.

There are a few things in life that one can consider a certainty - death tops that list, though not yet for an incredibly lucky Donald Trump. Taxes too of course!

And then there are facts lesser known but no less certain - for example, that Kevin Rudd will never admit he was wrong. Not so much in what he has said in the past about the probable next President of the United States, many others feel the same way, but how silly and immature it was of him to say it.

Former US Ambassador, the great Joe Hockey, has spent all week at the Republican National Convention, as has Rudd, with the latter desperate to talk up his budding ‘bromance’ with the Vice Presidential candidate JD Vance.

His Excellency Ambassador Rudd is proudly telling media he’s established a ‘texting relationship’ with the 39 year old former marine.

Kevin Rudd at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee. Picture: Benedict Brook / News.com.au

I can only imagine the joy our former PM experienced when it was revealed Vance was Don’s pick.

Someone else who has spoken ill of Trump brought not just back into the fold, but right to the very top of it.

The same thought also occurred to me to be honest - that if a fellow who’s referred to Trump in the past as ‘America’s Hitler’ can win his way back into the former President’s heart, then so too can a former Aussie Prime Minister who, comparatively speaking, didn’t go anywhere near as far as likening the future leader of the free world to a mass murdering madman, the embodiment of evil essentially, but then I quickly realised the key differences between the two.

Kevin Rudd has claimed to have a ‘texting relationship with vice presidential nominee JD Vance. (Photo by JOE RAEDLE / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / Getty Images via AFP)

Allow me to share.

JD Vance’s less than flattering views were expressed before Trump took the Oval Office - his ‘go to’ since has been to admit he believed the left wing media’s lies, and that the President’s actions in office during his first term changed his mind. That he was wrong.

So from Trump’s perspective it’s almost a bonus right, given Vance is one of many American’s who may have also felt similarly towards him but have since realised the error of their ways? Now that’s key - the realisation of the error of one’s ways, which brings us to Rudd.

Rudd can’t use the same defence as Vance, because his comments were made well after Trump’s stint in the Oval Office.

It was, in fact, 2023 when Rudd tweeted that Trump was ‘the most destructive President in history’, and there’s plenty more too.

‘Nuts’, ‘traitor to the west’, and the list goes on. His Excellency the current Australian Ambassador to the US shared his (particularly undiplomatic) views very recently, including on social media, unprompted and unsolicited, and, I assume, sober, though no judgement here.

He’s also yet to do the key thing Vance is doing repetitively, and that’s express an admittance of fault and the reasons why he has changed his mind.

When pressed Rudd likes to refer to others who have also made unflattering remarks about Trump, like John Howard and Tony Abbott. The key factor here, of course, being that they didn’t accept a role with critical responsibilities in Australian - US relations when it was already heavily rumoured that Trump would run again. Rudd did.

The current ambassador has also taken it upon himself to calm other nations who might have felt about Trump as he did, way back in, well… now.

He’s not said a thing publicly to indicate that he was wrong about Trump or indeed sorry. Instead he’s telling European countries, presumably worried about Trump’s isolationist policies, that they need to ‘chill’ regarding the prospect of a second term.

My current considered recommendation to those seeking advice from Rudd re Trump… they’d be better served seeking counsel from Stormy Daniels or Joe Biden, as they are more likely to have more sway with Trump than Rudd… and that’s saying something.

Rudd can wax lyrical all he likes about impressive Republican policies and the like, and his ‘texting relationship’ with JD Vance, but unless he’s willing to admit what he said was either wrong, or his views have changed, he needs to go.

Trump has shown he’s willing to forgive those who not only doubted him, but publicly belittled and berated him, but only if those ‘offenders’ eat some humble pie… something Rudd hasn’t done particularly well, if at all, thus far…

Join me for a big episode of ‘Erin’ Friday afternoon at 5pm on Sky News Australia… Peter Dutton, Lara Trump, Joe Hockey, The Mayor who helped save an unconscious woman at Trump’s assassination attempt and President Obama’s former Secret Service bodyguard, who rubbishes a big claim…