Not ‘Trump-compatible’? China expert Rudd exits Australia’s US ambassador role

Australia’s former prime minister and a prominent China scholar, Kevin Rudd, will step down as ambassador to the United States a year ahead of schedule, a move some analysts say underscores a fundamental shift in how Canberra must navigate a Washington increasingly centred on the personal rapport with US President Donald Trump.

The resignation follows a period of heightened friction between Rudd and Trump, punctuated by the “America first” leader’s blunt public declaration in October 2025 that he “didn’t like” the ambassador and “probably never will” over his past criticisms of Trump.

Before he was appointed ambassador in 2023, Rudd called Trump “the most destructive president in history” and a “traitor to the West” in now-deleted social media posts.

The Australian government has downplayed Trump’s comments to Rudd, which were made during Australia Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s visit to the White House last year, calling them “lighthearted” and endorsing Rudd as doing a “fantastic job”.