Anthony Albanese backs Australia’s ambassador to US Kevin Rudd after Donald Trump says ‘I don’t like you’

Anthony Albanese says Kevin Rudd will serve out four years as Australia’s Ambassador to the United States, stating the US President Donald Trump had forgiven the former prime minister for his historical insults.

He told a corporate lunch that he told Mr Trump that Mr Rudd’s seniority as a former prime minister was a sign of the importance of the US relationship to his government.

Mr Albanese’s strident embrace of his Ambassador came 24 hours after he laughed and grinned through the US President’s tense encounter with the former Labor leader — the only hitch in an otherwise flawless first meeting between the two leaders.

Mr Trump told Mr Rudd that he didn’t like him and probably never would after being asked if the former prime minister’s insults were the reason for Australia’s first leader-to-leader meeting being delayed for nine months.

After the blistering exchange which took place in the White House Cabinet Room, Mr Rudd apologised.

The Prime Minister said he observed Mr Trump absolving Mr Rudd.

“All is forgiven, he said that while you were exiting the room,” the prime minister told reporters during a press conference at the Australian Embassy in the United States, one day after his successful meeting with Mr Trump.

“Kevin Rudd is doing a fantastic job as the Ambassador.

“Up on the Hill, every single person who spoke this morning will say exactly the same thing.”

Asked if he would continue in the job, Mr Albanese said: “He’s been appointed for four years.”

Until now, it was unclear if Mr Rudd’s term would finish in March next year after three years or four. It is common for leaders to appoint politically appointed diplomats for three-year terms with the option of extending them for another year.

For example, Mr Albanese’s other hand-picked diplomat, the High Commissioner to the UK, Stephen Smith, will finish his term at the end of the year, serving just three years in the job.

Mr Rudd spoke at a breakfast for the Congressional Friends of Australia Caucus at Blair House, which Mr Albanese addressed, but did not directly address the stoush with Mr Trump.

“If there’s a harder-working ambassador on the Hill, then please let me know because Kevin works his guts out and he seems to know everything,” Mr Albanese told the members of Congress gathered in the room.

Michael McCaul, the Republican co-chair of the Friends of Australia Caucus, praised Mr Rudd’s contributions in gathering support for AUKUS and told Mr Rudd: “I’m glad you’re still gainfully employed.”

Mr Albanese gave further details about his private meetings with Mr Trump at the White House that lasted around three hours.

He said that he gave Mr Trump a submarine, jewels for the First Lady, Melania Trump and Ugg booties for the President’s newest granddaughter.

He cited protocol for declining to detail what the Trumps gave Mr Albanese in return, but said that the President gave him his commemorative Challenge Coin.

At a lunch to celebrate 140 years of mining giant BHP held at the Australian Embassy, Mr Albanese presented Trump’s Interior Secretary Doug Burgum with an Akubra.

Mr Albanese told the media that he had asked for the tariffs on Australia to be lifted. President Trump stuck to his position during the Monday press conference, saying that the duties imposed on Australia, at 10 per cent for goods and 25 per cent for steel, were among the lowest.

The pair discussed world affairs during their tour of the Oval Office and a walk around the White House grounds, Mr Albanese said.

He said he “took comfort” from the fact that the White House meeting involved so many figures from the Administration, including Vice President JD Vance and the Secretaries for Interior, War and State.

It is customary for the Vice President and Secretary of State Marco Rubio and other cabinet ministers to attend Mr Trump’s Oval Office meetings with world leaders.

“And afterwards as well, we went back to the Oval Office, people took photos in the Oval Office.

“After other members of the delegation left I had another one-on-one with the President where we talked about a range of things, including personal things as well that were terrific,” he said.

“It was warm and friendly, as you saw, and I thought it was a very positive meeting, but it was also consistent with what I expected as I indicated to people beforehand.”

Mr Albanese’s tour included being shown the demolition works that started this week at the White House to add a ballroom.

The renovations to the historic building are a point of contention domestically in the United States, with the President’s critics saying the permanent works show the leader has no intention of departing office once his second term expires.

But Mr Albanese said the ballroom would be a “fantastic facility.”

On Monday, he praised the gold gilding Mr Trump has added to the Oval Office.