Former prime minister turned ambassador to the US Kevin Rudd is furious after finding the culprit behind a question that highlighted his brutal jabs at Donald Trump’s ego – which could cost him his plum job.
Trump sat down for an interview with GB News in the UK on Tuesday during which host Nigel Farage recalled how Mr Rudd previously said the Republican leader was a “traitor to the West” and “the the most destructive president in history.
Trump told Farage: “I don’t know, he won’t be around long if that’s the case.”
“I don’t know much about him. I heard he was a bit mean. I heard it wasn’t the brightest bulb. If he’s hostile, he won’t stay there long.
A question to Donald Trump highlighting previously negative comments Australian US Ambassador Kevin Rudd (center) made was orchestrated by News Corp.
Trump (pictured) was told Rudd had called him a “traitor to the West” and “the most destructive president in history” during an interview with GB News on Tuesday.
Now, with his job potentially untenable if Trump is re-elected in November, Mr. Rudd has discovered that an old enemy orchestrated the issue – News Corp.
Current GB News boss Angelos Frangopoulos previously ran Sky News Australia, owned by News Corp.
So while preparing for the Trump interview, Frangopoulos contacted Sky News Australia’s new director, Paul Whittaker, to find a way to appeal to Australian audiences.
It is understood that Whittaker himself wrote the question calling out Rudd.
Mr Rudd launched his war against Rupert Murdoch’s News Corp empire in 2020 by calling for a royal commission into Australian media diversity.
In a presentation to the Senate, he called News Corp a “cancer of democracy.”
Now, after News Corp’s brutal counterattack and the very real possibility of Trump being re-elected this year, Mr Rudd will be put to the test.
During Friday’s interview, Farage recalled to Trump how Mr Rudd had called him a “nutcase” before being appointed to his diplomatic role as a bridge between Canberra and Washington in March 2023.
Farage said: “Things have changed in Australia. We have a Labor government. The previous ambassador, Joe Hockey, was, I think, a very good friend of yours. Now they have named Kevin Rudd.
“He said the most horrible things – you were a destructive president, a traitor to the West – and he is now Australia’s ambassador to Washington.”
In one of his now infamous tweets, Mr Rudd wrote: “(Trump) is dragging America and democracy through the mud. It thrives on fomenting division, not healing it.
“He abuses Christianity, the Church and the Bible to justify violence.”
The question, which would call into question Rudd’s job if Trump is re-elected in November, was written by Sky News Australia boss Paul Whittaker (pictured).
Rudd, who launched a war against News Corp in 2020, has previously criticized Trump in a series of tweets (including one pictured)
Trump’s threats that Mr Rudd “won’t be around long” were the first time the former president had mentioned him publicly.
If Trump wins the presidential election in November, Mr Rudd’s comments could strain Australia’s relationship with the United States.
However, it appears that the potential difficulties of working with the Trump administration have already become apparent to Mr. Rudd, who in January began trying to repair his ties with the former president.
Mr Rudd reportedly told a forum in Davos that there was “some danger of exaggerating the degree of damage” caused by Trump during his presidency.
This lackluster admission constitutes a stark reversal from Rudd’s previous comments, which included accusing Trump of “rancid betrayal.”
Fortunately for Mr Rudd, some think his work could survive if Trump reinstates White House.
Joe Hockey, US ambassador to Australia during Trump’s presidency, told The Australian that Mr Rudd’s tough stance on China would likely curry favor with a Republican administration.
“I think if Donald Trump is elected, from day one he will have a long list of people he wants revenge against.” Kevin Rudd is not one of them,” Hockey said.
“His credentials as a China hawk are going to be greater than the criticisms he’s made (of Trump) before and he’s reached out to all sides of the Republican Party as well, that’s the truth.”
Mr Rudd also has the support of Foreign Minister Penny Wong, who told reporters on Wednesday that Labor would keep him as US ambassador if Trump was re-elected.
“Mr Rudd is a very effective ambassador, he is recognized throughout this Parliament as do an excellent job in advancing Australia’s interests in the United States,” she said.
Mr Rudd acknowledged that there will always be “disagreements” between diplomats and administrations.
Trump said Rudd’s (pictured) position in Washington ‘he won’t be there for long’ after hearing criticism from former Australian PM
Rudd has already begun working to repair his relationship with Trump (pictured) and admitted in January that there was “some danger of exaggerating the degree of damage” caused by Trump during his presidency.
“It’s the normal business of diplomacy. We usually conduct them in private,” he previously told News Corp.
He added that he was willing to meet with Trump, but admitted that he had not made direct contact.
“The last thing you want to do as a candidate is waste your time with a bunch of well-meaning foreign diplomats,” Mr Rudd said.