Kevin Rudd has chosen to ignore Donald Trump’s criticism, as think tankers rush to his defence

Kevin Rudd has chosen not to comment on Donald Trump’s criticism of him as ‘nasty’ and ‘not the brightest bulb’, as senior foreign policy experts in the US capital come to the former PM’s defence.

Ambassador of Australia to the United States, Kevin Rudd, and his wife, Therese, with US President Joe Biden. Picture: Twitter

Kevin Rudd has chosen to ride out in silence the diplomatic ­furore triggered by Donald Trump’s warning that he would not be welcome in Washington under a Trump presidency if he were “hostile”.

For a second consecutive day an embassy spokesman rejected requests for a comment after Mr Trump said the former Labor prime minister was “nasty” and “not the brightest bulb”.

Instead Mr Rudd took to ­social media to post a picture of himself with the chief executive of the American Chamber of Commerce in Australia, April Palmerlee, whom he had recently hosted along with a delegation of business leaders at his official residence.

Mr Trump, who is leading Joe Biden in most US national polls, made the comments in an interview with Nigel Farage during which the former Labor leader’s attacks on the former president were raised, including calling him “nuts” and a “traitor”.

As Liberal politicians openly questioned Mr Rudd’s fitness for the job should Mr Trump be re-elected in November, video emerged suggesting Mr Rudd had made further criticisms, including warning an audience at Oxford University in 2017 that the then-president was a “problem” for Australia.

“Trump at present represents a political liability for both sides of Australian politics … This guy is a problem. He is an objective problem, for the world, for the ­region, for my country.”

In a 2018 address to the Asia Society, the Washington-based think tank he headed up, Mr Rudd said “Donald, as we know, is not a leading intellectual force”, remarks that could lead to a frosty reception at the White House should Mr Trump return there early next year.

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

Washington foreign policy experts came to the ambassador defence despite a noticeable ­reticence from congressmen who deal regularly with Mr Rudd.

Only one, from the Democratic Party, Joe Courtney, has supported Mr Rudd publicly.

Richard Fontaine, chief executive of the Centre for a New American Security, said Mr Rudd would “have very productive relations with any US president”.

“Over the years he’s worked well with Americans of all stripes. Plus, let’s not start counting votes before they’ve even been cast,” he said.