Australian ambassador to the U.S. who criticized Donald Trump to leave office in March

Bangkok (EFE). – The Australian ambassador and the oceanic country’s ambassador to the U.S., Kevin Rudd, will leave his post at the end of March, after just over three years as a diplomat in Washington and after a controversy over his public criticism of President Donald Trump.

Australian Prime Minister, Labor’s Anthony Albanese, announced this Tuesday that Rudd -who led the country for the last time in 2013- will leave the post, without detailing reasons for this departure, which the public media ABC calls premature, at least a year earlier than expected. “On behalf of the nation, we thank Kevin for his service and for defending Australia’s interests alongside its closest security ally (USA),” Albanese said in front of journalists, who then posted several archive photos with Rudd on X, reiterating his gratitude.

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In November 2024, after Trump’s victory in the then-elections was confirmed, Rudd deleted a series of messages he had posted on social media calling the Republican magnate “destructive.”

Rudd’s Publications

The former president explained on that occasion that with his decision he sought to “eliminate the possibility that such comments be misinterpreted as a reflection of his positions as ambassador and, by extension, of the opinions of the Australian Government.” He also clarified that those comments were published when he was leading an independent American center (Asia Society), a think tank to which he will return as president, according to a statement released on his X account. In other social media posts, Rudd had called Trump a “traitor to the West,” which prompted several calls from the opposition for his removal and the American leader himself, before retaking power in January 2025, had already said in an interview with British television that Rudd would not stay “long.”

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Last October, Albanese reiterated his support for Rudd, following a tense exchange with Trump during his visit to the White House, when the Republican met with the diplomat and told him “I don’t like you and I probably never will.” In that meeting, Albanese and Trump signed an agreement worth approximately 8.5 billion U.S. dollars (7.9 billion euros), which seeks to strengthen the production, increase the processing, and export of rare earths from Australia to the United States, to counter dependence on China.