Australia's US ambassador to leave post after clashing with Trump [View all]

https://www.politico.com/news/2026/01/12/australias-us-ambassador-to-make-early-departure-00723128

Australia’s US ambassador to leave post after clashing with Trump
Kevin Rudd had an awkward encounter with President Donald Trump, who told him "I don’t like you either, and I probably never will."
By Aaron Pellish
01/12/2026 05:09 PM EST

Australia’s ambassador to the U.S., who had a hostile relationship with President Donald Trump, is leaving his post earlier than expected.

Ambassador Kevin Rudd will step down at the end of March to become president and CEO of the Asia Society, Australia’s Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said Monday.

In a statement, Albanese expressed “deep appreciation” for Rudd, who also served two nonconsecutive stints as Australia’s prime minister.

Rudd, who began a four-year appointment as ambassador to the U.S. in 2023, was at the center of an awkward confrontation during a bilateral meeting with Albanese at the White House in October. Following a question about past comments disapproving of Trump, the president told Rudd, “I don’t like you either, and I probably never will.”

Rudd deleted social media posts criticizing Trump as “the most destructive president in history” following the president’s reelection in 2024. When asked about Rudd in an interview last year, Trump called the ambassador “a little bit nasty” and said he’s “not the brightest bulb.”

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