Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has offered his full backing to Australia’s ambassador to the United States, Kevin Rudd, following a tense but ultimately productive meeting between the former Australian prime minister and Donald Trump in Washington.
Speaking on the Today program this morning, Albanese described the encounter as a “warm meeting” that lasted several hours and resulted in major diplomatic progress — including an $8.5 billion critical minerals deal and renewed US support for the AUKUS defence pact.
“Donald Trump is a friend of Australia,” the Prime Minister said, while emphasising that the meeting strengthened the strategic partnership between Canberra and Washington.
The discussion took a sharp turn, however, when Trump was asked about Rudd’s past remarks — now deleted — in which the ambassador called Trump “destructive” and “a traitor to the West.” According to reports, Trump turned to Rudd and said, “I don’t like you, and I probably never will,” prompting laughter in the room.
Albanese confirmed that Rudd privately apologised to Trump after the cameras were off. “Trump said, ‘He looks like a good guy, is he a nice guy?’ I said, ‘He is,’ and Trump replied, ‘Oh well, all is forgiven.’”
The Prime Minister dismissed calls from the federal opposition for Rudd’s dismissal, praising his “magnificent” work in Washington. “Kevin Rudd has met almost every member of Congress and is widely respected. He gets things done,” Albanese noted.
He added that the light-hearted exchange underscored the resilience of the US–Australia relationship. “Appointing a former prime minister as ambassador shows how much importance we place on our alliance with the United States,” he said.
