Key Trump ally taunts Rudd on social media
A key Donald Trump ally has taunted Kevin Rudd on social media, suggesting the former prime minister’s days as Australia’s United States ambassador are numbered because of his past criticisms of the incoming president.
Dan Scavino, a senior advisor to Trump’s presidential campaign, posted a gif on X showing sand trickling through an hourglass in response to Rudd’s official statement on Trump’s election victory.
United States ambassador Kevin Rudd recently deleted social media posts critical of incoming US president Donald Trump.Credit: Sikarin Fon Thanachaiary/World Economic Forum
Scavino’s post shows that Rudd’s past scathing comments about Trump have been noticed by some in the president-elect’s inner circle, raising doubts about Rudd’s future in the US capital despite the strong support of Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and several of Rudd’s predecessors.
Scavino was responding to a post on X on November 7 in which Rudd congratulated Trump on his election victory, saying: “Australia looks forward to working with President Trump and his administration on the challenges and opportunities that our two great democracies and the wider world will face in the years ahead.”
Rudd last week scrubbed critical comments about Trump from his online record, including posts in which he excoriated Trump as “the most destructive president in history” and described him as a “traitor to the West”.
Video has subsequently emerged of Rudd describing Trump as a “village idiot” in 2021, before he was appointed to his ambassadorial role.
A senior adviser to Donald Trump, Dan Scavino, during the US election campaign.Credit: AP
Former prime minister Scott Morrison has backed Rudd remaining in Washington, as have previous US ambassadors Joe Hockey, Arthur Sinodinos, Kim Beazley and Dennis Richardson.
After acting as Trump’s golf caddie, Scavino served as director of social media and deputy White House chief of staff for communications. He is expected to return to the White House in a senior role.
Trump’s daughter-in-law Lara Trump, the co-chair of the Republican National Committee, told Sky News before the election that Rudd’s criticisms of Trump could complicate his role in Washington.
“It’s not my decision but I do think it would be nice to have a person who appreciates all Donald Trump has gone through to want to serve our country at this moment, this really critical moment in the history of America,” she said.
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“Obviously, [Rudd’s criticism] is a little bit tough to take, and maybe we would want to choose someone else.”
The question of Rudd’s future in Washington came up in March when Trump told Brexit champion Nigel Farage that while he did not know much about Rudd, he had heard “he was a little bit nasty” and “not the brightest bulb”.
Foreign Minister Penny Wong has insisted Rudd was “absolutely” the right person to represent Australia in Washington, as he had played a crucial role in securing the passage of legislation to deliver AUKUS.
Liberal MP Andrew Wallace, who recently travelled to Washington, said on Tuesday that Rudd should be allowed to carry on his duties.
“I think he’s doing a good job working both sides of the halls in Congress, and I think that Australia needs to give him the benefit of the doubt,” the deputy chair of parliament’s intelligence and security committee said.
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