Inside Australian embassy’s diplomatic high-wire act to placate Donald Trump after Kevin Rudd comments
Moments after Donald Trump publicly cast doubt on Kevin Rudd’s future as Australia’s US ambassador under a second Trump presidency, the phones started ringing.
Moments after Donald Trump publicly cast doubt on Kevin Rudd’s future as Australia’s ambassador in Washington under a second Trump presidency, the phones started ringing inside the Australian embassy in Washington.
Several senior Republicans who are close to Trump called to reassure Rudd, and Australia, not to take Trump’s words literally, saying that Rudd would be able to continue as ambassador if Trump defeated Joe Biden in the presidential election in November.
The split-screen moment underlined the highwire act Rudd and the Albanese government are trying to perform in Washington to prepare for a possible return of Trump to the White House. For months Rudd has crisscrossed America and worked the back rooms in Washington and on Capitol Hill to forge links with Republicans across the board, but especially with those who are close to Trump. It has been a campaign that has gained Rudd kudos among many in Trump’s circle, and these were the ones who called to offer reassurance to the former prime minister.
But in the end, the Trump army is led by only one man and it is Donald Trump who decides what goes. Which is why Canberra is alarmed by Trump’s outburst against Rudd, after interviewer Nigel Farage goaded the former president by telling him about Rudd’s previous criticisms of him.
Trump did not appear to be familiar with Rudd, but lashed out anyway. “I don’t know much about him. I heard he was a little bit nasty. I hear he’s not the brightest bulb,” Trump said.
“But I don’t know much about him. But if he’s at all hostile, he will not be there long.”
Rudd has variously described Trump over the years as “nuts”, a traitor to the West and a threat to democracy. These comments were made before he was appointed to Australia’s most important diplomatic post in late 2022 and they were not outlandish among political commentators at the time. But the Rudd appointment therefore came with a clear asterisk: how might Trump treat Rudd if he became president again?
The calculus inside the Albanese government at the time was Rudd was the perfect appointment to our most important diplomatic post because of his gravitas as a former prime minister, a former foreign minister and a China expert. In late 2022 a re-elected Trump seemed a remote possibility and, in any case, even if Trump were re-elected then surely he would forget or forgive comments by Rudd years earlier.
As far as diplomatic gambles go, it did not seem like a huge one. But that was before Trump’s political comeback. He will be the Republican presidential nominee and betting markets have him favourite to defeat Biden.
Foreign Minister Penny Wong responded to Trump’s outburst by making it clear that the government would back Rudd regardless of the election outcome, saying he was “a very effective ambassador” who was “doing an excellent job in advancing Australia’s interest in the United States”, she said.
The behind-the-scenes campaign by Rudd and embassy officials to forge links with key Republicans who have Trump’s ear began in earnest late last year. It has targeted members of Trump’s own family, his campaign team, political influencers, his financial backers and anyone who will potentially play a role in a new Trump cabinet or in a second Trump White House.
The fact Rudd has previously criticised Trump is not something that gets raised in his private meetings with other Republicans, many of whom are unaware of it or who have themselves been critical of Trump in the past. But that does not mean it could not come back to haunt Rudd.
Rudd has not yet spoken directly with Trump and Trump has form when it comes to being vindictive against diplomatic critics. In 2019, Britain’s ambassador to the US, Kim Darroch, was forced to quit after Trump cut off all contact with him after leaked documents revealed that Darroch had described the Trump administration as dysfunctional, inept and chaotic. Trump also had no hesitation in lashing out at former prime minister Malcolm Turnbull over Barack Obama’s refugee deal shortly after he took office in 2017.
Sources say Rudd has mapped out a clear strategy to woo those closest to Trump. This month Rudd visited the Republican Governor of Texas, Greg Abbott, who Trump has nominated as a potential running mate. “Great to see the Aussie Akubra hat he (Abbott) received as a gift from former PM Malcolm Turnbull hanging in pride of place next to his Texas Stetson,” Rudd tweeted with pictures of himself and the governor.
Texas, like Australia, makes things to last. Great to visit the office of Governor @GregAbbott_TX and see the Aussie Akubra hat he received as a gift from former PM Malcolm Turnbull hanging in pride of place next to his Texan Stetson. A pleasure also to meet @SecJaneNelson. pic.twitter.com/eojBWEi2LM
— Kevin Rudd AC (@AmboRudd) March 12, 2024
During that visit Rudd also met Trump’s former director of national intelligence John Ratcliffe.
Last month Rudd met another Republican vice-presidential contender, South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem, saying they were just “a couple of former farm kids trading tales in Washington”.
A couple of former farm kids trading tales in Washington. Terrific to chat w/ South Dakota @GovKristiNoem about AUKUS & her home state, which mines 6 critical minerals & hosts some important Aussie companies. Look forward to meeting again in Mt Rushmore state in coming months. pic.twitter.com/zdD64CxGU6
— Kevin Rudd AC (@AmboRudd) February 23, 2024
Rudd has forged a good connection with veteran Republican senator and “Trump whisperer” Lindsey Graham as well as with former Trump national security adviser Robert O’Brien and former Trump Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer. In December Rudd met Ronna McDaniel who, until this month, was chair of the Republican National Committee.
Last month Rudd travelled to Florida where he met Republican senator and former Florida governor Rick Scott as well as former Florida Governor Jeb Bush, son of former president George W Bush. He also visited Utah, meeting Republican governor Spencer Cox.
Many Republicans in Washington have sought Rudd out to tap his expertise on China.
When asked last April about his criticism of Trump, Rudd said: “The bottom line is I’ve been in this town on and off for 30 years, I have bucketloads of Republican friends and bucketloads of Democrat friends, working in foreign policy and national security.”
He said that since taking up his diplomatic posting he had worked “comfortably and seamlessly” with key Republicans such as former House speaker Kevin McCarthy and Senate minority leader Mitch McConnell.
Rudd’s signature success as ambassador so far, apart from helping facilitate a state visit to Washington by Albanese, was the successful passage through Congress of legislation allowing the US to sell Virginia-Class nuclear-powered submarines to Australia.
Former ambassador to the US Joe Hockey said, prior to Trump’s latest comments, that he thought it was unlikely that Trump would act against Rudd. “I think if Donald Trump is elected, on day one he will have a long list of people that he will want to seek vengeance against and Kevin Rudd is not one of them,” Hockey said.
But Trump is unpredictable and he has a vindictive streak. He is now fully aware of Rudd’s previous comments about him. This is dangerous territory for Rudd. The question is whether the solid links being forged between Rudd and many key pro-Trump Republicans will be enough to protect him – and therefore the Australia-US relationship – from the ire of a re-elected Trump.
