Kevin Rudd would be forced to give up his six-figure salary and multimillion-dollar luxury residence if he accepts calls to resign as US ambassador after his past comments about Donald Trump resurfaced and sparked outrage.
Australia’s ambassador to the United States has called the president-elect a “village idiot,” a “traitor to the West” and “the most destructive president in history.”
There are growing calls for Prime Minister Anthony Albanese to fire Rudd and install someone else who can build a better relationship with the new Trump administration.
Trump has also expressed his disapproval of Australia’s former prime minister, calling him “disgusting.”
‘I don’t know much about him. I heard it was a little unpleasant,” Trump told GB News earlier this year.
‘I’ve heard it’s not the brightest bulb, but I don’t know much about it. If he is hostile, he won’t be there for long.
And one of Trump’s top campaign advisers, Dan Scavino Jr, gave an indication that Rudd would not last long under the current administration.
Sharing Rudd’s congratulatory message to the new president-elect on X, Scavino Jr posted an hourglass GIF, suggesting his days were numbered.
Australia’s ambassador to the United States, Kevin Rudd (pictured), has called the president-elect a “village idiot,” a “traitor to the West” and “the most destructive president in history.”
But Rudd is unlikely to sit still, especially given the wealth of perks he receives as one of Australia’s top diplomats.
While the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade does not make his salary public, it is believed to be between $300,000 and $441,000.
This is in addition to his parliamentary pension, which is estimated at $216,000 a year, and his numerous lucrative academic appointments.
As Australia’s ambassador to the United States, Rudd lives in a palatial red brick mansion just a ten-minute drive from the White House, in the heart of Washington DC.
The heritage-listed property, known as White Oaks, was built in 1923 and was originally the home of General George Patton, an imposing and controversial figure in American military history.
It features the only grass tennis court in all of Washington, which was restored and renovated by Rudd’s predecessor, Joel Hockey.
More to come.