Donald Trump’s criticism of Kevin Rudd in a British television interview presents a major problem for Australia should the former president be re-elected in November.
With or without AUKUS, Australia will depend on the US for our security even more in coming years.
Insisting on having an ambassador in Washington whom the US president, for personal reasons, intensely dislikes would obviously be foolish.
Anthony Albanese launched Kevin Rudd’s bid to be Australian ambassador to the US a few weeks after Donald Trump, in November 2022, launched his bid to be re-elected president.
Practically everyone had written off Trump’s chances back then – Florida Governor Ron DeSantis was even rated a better chance of becoming president than Mr Trump.
A former prime minister with deep political and diplomatic contacts plus a renowned expertise in China appeared to be an inspired choice for the new Labor government.
It was no surprise Joe Biden welcomed Mr Rudd, 66, as Arthur Sinodinos’s replacement in April 2023.
Fast forward a year and a bit, and it’s looking a much less sensible, even reckless, choice.
Donald Trump has practically secured the Republican nomination, and according to both political betting markets and national polls has for months been the most likely winner of the November 2024 presidential election.
Mr Rudd’s disparaging remarks about Mr Trump, made on numerous occasions, were well known in Australia. He variously accused Mr Trump of “rancid treachery”, being “nuts” and the “most destructive president in history” in articles and interviews.
One irony of the current scandal is Mr Trump appeared to barely know who the former Australian prime minister was, let alone his criticism.
“I hear he is not the brightest bulb, but I don’t know much about him,” Mr Trump told Nigel Farage, who was only too eager to inform Mr Trump of Mr Rudd’s nasty comments. Well, he knows now.
If Donald Trump isn’t re-elected in November, Mr Rudd’s tenure is secure. If he is, Canberra will have to give serious thought to recalling him. Pride will have to be swallowed quick smart.
It’s highly unlikely a future President Trump would actively seek to persuade Australia to terminate Mr Rudd’s commission.
But he could easily ignore him, relegating anything related to Australia way down the White House’s to do list, putting AUKUS in jeopardy and making visits by Australian primes ministers difficult.
By all accounts, Kevin Rudd has performed well as Australia’s ambassador, helping shepherd critical AUKUS legislation through congress last year and ensuring a successful visit by Anthony Albanese to Washington last year.
And Rudd’s criticism of the former president in the wake of his defeat and ignominious departure from the White House in 2021 were popular, similarly made by many commentators then and since.
If Trump’s political renaissance cuts Mr Rudd’s tenure short, it will be very clear they weren’t prudent.
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