Donald Trump says Kevin Rudd ‘nasty’, would refuse to work with him

Kevin Rudd would remain in his post as Australia’s ambassador to the US despite Donald Trump’s threat to have him booted out if he is re-elected, the Albanese government has vowed.

The Albanese government has rejected Donald Trump’s extraordinary broadside at Kevin Rudd, promising he will remain Australia’s top diplomat in the US even if the former president returns to power.

But Labor figures have warned Mr Trump – who is leading President Joe Biden in the polls ahead of November’s election – has Australia’s ambassador to the US “right where he wants him” after he threatened to refuse to work with Dr Rudd because of his “nasty” comments.

Prior to starting in the Washington DC post a year ago, the former prime minister blasted Mr Trump as “nuts”, “the most destructive president in history” and a “traitor to the West”.

In a GB News interview, which aired on Sky News Australia on Wednesday, Mr Trump was asked by conservative British politician-turned-broadcaster Nigel Farage if he would take a phone call from Dr Rudd given he had said “the most horrible things about him”.

“He won’t be there long if that’s the case,” the former president replied.

“I don’t know much about him. I heard he was a little bit nasty. I hear he’s not the brightest bulb, but I don’t know much about him. If he’s at all hostile, he will not be there long.”

Ambassador of Australia to the United States, Hon Kevin Rudd with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken. Picture: X

Dr Rudd declined to respond to the attack, leaving Foreign Affairs Minister Penny Wong to declare he would continue to be Australia’s representative in the US even if Mr Trump defeated Mr Biden. She said he was a “very effective ambassador”.

“He is recognised across this parliament as doing an excellent job in advancing Australia’s interests in the United States,” Senator Wong said.

“He’s been extremely active in engaging with members of Congress on both sides of politics.”

“He is a former prime minister, a former foreign minister. His experience and skills mean he will be able work closely with whomever is elected by the American people.”

As Mr Trump closed in on the Republican presidential nomination in recent months, Dr Rudd sought to shore up his position with the former president’s allies.

In an interview with this masthead in January, he back-pedalled from his strident attacks and said he was “well equipped” to deal with whoever prevailed in this year’s election, pointing to his long-term relationships with senior Republicans and Mr Trump’s key advisers.

But the former president’s swipe heightened concerns in Canberra about the Albanese government’s preparedness to deal with a second Trump administration, particularly amid uncertainty about his personal views on the AUKUS defence pact.

Mr Farage asked Mr Trump about Australia’s submarine deal but he did not respond as the interview diverted to Dr Rudd.

A Labor source said the former party leader’s attacks on Mr Trump were “always going to come back to bite us” and cautioned the government not to “stick their heads in the sand”.

Deputy Liberal leader Sussan Ley said it was a matter for the government as to whether Dr Rudd remained in Washington DC, although she added that “we do want him to succeed because he represents our national interest.”

She suggested Mr Trump’s criticisms should make members of the government reflect on their previous commentary about the former president, which was “just not very smart”.

Democratic congressman Joe Courtney, the co-chair of the Friends of Australia Caucus, defended Dr Rudd and said he was “respected and admired by legislators on both sides of the aisle – a rare feat in DC”.

Kevin Rudd and his wife Therese with US President Joe Biden. Picture: X

Earlier this month, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese praised the ambassador for doing “an amazing job”, as he maintained that the Australia-US relationship is “a relationship between nations, not just between individuals” and would survive any leadership changes.

United States Studies Center research director Jared Mondschein said navigating Mr Trump’s return would be “no simple task” for the government, but that Australia fared better than most US allies in his first term and now had “more influence in Washington than ever”.

“Many areas of continuity – including the centrality of the US-Australia alliance to Washington’s view of the Indo-Pacific – will remain regardless of who wins in November or who is Australia’s ambassador,” he said.

“There are always some challenges when a change of government occurs but, as we’ve seen time and again, robust support for the US-Australia alliance remains bipartisan and bilateral and long outlasting any testy phone call or media interview.”

Joe Hockey, one of Dr Rudd’s predecessors in Washington DC who was close with Mr Trump, predicted earlier this year that the former Labor leader would survive even if the Republican returned to power. He declined to comment on Wednesday.

Trump & Farage: The Interview will air on Sky News tonight (20 March) in full at 8.30pm AEDT, available to watch online with a SkyNews.com.au Streaming Subscription, or on TV through Foxtel or Sky News Regional.

Originally published as Donald Trump says Kevin Rudd ‘nasty’, would refuse to work with him