(AFP) – US President Donald Trump on Monday expressed disdain towards Australia’s ambassador, former prime minister Kevin Rudd, as the two sat face-to-face across the cabinet table in the White House. Trump and his top aides were meeting with Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese in an otherwise friendly meeting that confirmed a deal on submarines.
Asked by a reporter how he felt about Rudd’s previous criticism of the US president, Trump said, “maybe he’ll like to apologize.” Turning to Albanese at his side, Trump said, “Where is he? Is he still working for you?” Albanese smiled awkwardly before gesturing to Rudd, who was sitting directly in front of them.
Rudd began to explain, “That was before I took this position, Mr. President.” Trump cut him off, saying, “I don’t like you either. I don’t. And I probably never will.” Officials from the two allies laughed before another reporter quickly asked a new question.
Australia’s foreign affairs minister, Penny Wong, later tried to shrug off Trump’s remarks as “clearly tongue-in-cheek.” “We heard the laughter. We know that we had a very successful meeting and full credit to Kevin,” she told Australia’s Nine Network.
Rudd, a former prime minister from Albanese’s Labor Party, was sharply critical of Trump in social media posts while the Republican billionaire was out of office. Rudd called Trump, whose supporters rioted at the US Capitol after his 2020 election defeat, the “most destructive president in history” and a “traitor to the West” who “drags America and democracy through the mud.” Rudd deleted the comments after Trump won back the White House.
Rudd, a Mandarin-speaking former career diplomat, had been tapped as ambassador during Joe Biden’s presidency, with Australia hoping his expertise on China would gain him influence in Washington. Trump during the campaign last year called Rudd “nasty” and said he would not last long as ambassador, in an interview with hard-right British politician Nigel Farage.
© 2024 AFP
