Kevin Rudd and Donald Trump have made direct contact, PM confirms

Donald Trump and Kevin Rudd have made direct contact, the prime minister has confirmed, saying he is “confident” Australia’s ambassador can successfully work with the US president-elect’s administration.
Mr Rudd’s future has been under a cloud of doubt since threats by Trump that the former prime minister’s career as an ambassador would be short-lived if he returned to the presidency.
“I don’t know much about him. I heard he was a little bit nasty. I hear he’s not the brightest bulb. But I don’t know much about him,” Trump said in March last year when asked about tweets by Mr Rudd calling him a traitor to the West and the most destructive president in history.
“He won’t be there long if that’s the case,” Trump added.
Since Trump’s election victory, Mr Rudd has deleted the tweets that provoked the president-elect’s ire, and worked closely to develop relationships with the Trump administration and other senior Republicans.
Speaking to AM on ABC Radio, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese confirmed that the pair had interacted directly.
“Well there has been direct contact, and that is a good thing,” Mr Albanese said.
“Kevin Rudd has been very active developing relationships with the new administration, and I am very confident Australia is showing the importance we place in the United States relationship by having a former prime minister as our ambassador.”
Asked whether that meeting occurred at Trump’s Mar a Lago estate in Florida, Mr Albanese would not confirm the details of the interaction.
“I’ll leave that detail to go through to the keeper,” he said.
“We engage diplomatically, rather than go into those details. That’s how we get things done, that’s how you do diplomacy and that’s how you get results.”
Donald Trump previously threatened Kevin Rudd may not last long under an administration he led. (Reuters: Jeenah Moon)
Another former prime minister, Scott Morrison, rang in the New Year with Donald Trump at Mar a Lago.
Mr Rudd holds one of the most significant diplomatic roles in the Australian government at a time of heightened sensitivity.
The government is carefully navigating its AUKUS deal with the US and the United Kingdom to acquire nuclear-powered submarines, for which Trump is yet to personally offer his support.
Trump’s pick for foreign affairs, Marco Rubio, yesterday said Australia could expect the administration’s strong support for AUKUS.
Mr Albanese has also expressed his hope that Australia’s trade settings with the United States can remain unchanged, and that the nation can evade duties Trump has vowed to impose on all imports into the US.
If that is unsuccessful, Australia could be hit with tariffs that would punish the economy just as Australia heads to a federal election.
Mr Rudd and Foreign Minister Penny Wong are due to attend Trump’s second inauguration next week.
On Monday, Opposition Leader Peter Dutton said Senator Wong and Mr Rudd would have a task to repair relationships with the Trump administration.
“Penny Wong has made some pretty derogatory remarks in the past about President Trump. As we know, ambassador Rudd has, as well. So presumably that will form part of the discussions that they have in Washington to explain whether or not that view has changed,” Mr Dutton said.
“I think Penny Wong has been completely at odds with the US over a number of issues in recent months with regard to the Middle East as well.
“There’s a lot of repair work and I think the damage that Penny Wong has done to a number of relationships should be the focus of repair work over the balance of this term.”