Indiscreet Rudd has only himself to blame for Trump outburst

Like the menacing bully in the bar, Trump had to be constantly reasoned with.

When Trump lost the 2020 election, there was relief inside government that Australia had endured intact. Hockey eschewed a second four-year term as ambassador, saying he had been worn down by dealing with the Trump administration.

Should Trump, force of nature that he is, return to the presidency after the November election, the Albanese government will have a significant problem in that the current US ambassador, Kevin Rudd, will be firmly on the outer.

Rudd was Albanese’s captain’s call

Even before Trump re-emerged, the appointment of Rudd to Washington was internally controversial. It was a captain’s call by Albanese. Not even his closest inner circle, including Penny Wong and Tony Burke, thought it was a good idea.

So far, it hasn’t proved to be the catastrophe some predicted, despite the odd murmuring out of Washington about the trademark dysfunction that is Rudd’s leadership style.

But Rudd’s conduct in the years leading up to his appointment has now become a problem. Unlike most former prime ministers, he chose to conduct himself in the most unedifying and undignified manner, by choosing the status of social media troll over that of former statesman.

He repeatedly used Facebook to mount vitriolic personal attacks on Morrison, especially his handling of COVID-19. The vituperative nature of the attacks was odd, given their paths hardly crossed when in parliament.

At least Rudd’s fellow traveller Turnbull had an axe to grind with Morrison.

Morrison had his foibles, but was it really the role of a former prime minister to lower the dignity of the office and join the daily pile-on?

Rudd’s exploits extended to Trump, perhaps in the belief the latter was a spent force. Rudd’s various descriptions of Trump as “nuts”, a “traitor to the West” and “the most destructive president in history” were duly noted.

After Trump won the Iowa caucuses in January, Trump’s former svengali Steve Bannon told Sky News’ Sharri Markson that Rudd’s attempts to “worm his way back into the good graces” of hardline Republicans would be “quite difficult”.

“Ambassador Rudd should know we’ve got his number,” Bannon said.

And, of course overnight, in an interview with Nigel Farage, Trump evinced a similar sentiment.

“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. But if, if he’s at all hostile, he will not be there long,” he said.

Remember in 2019 how British ambassador Kim Darroch was forced to resign after calling the Trump administration “dysfunctional” and “inept” in a cable that was leaked.

Coincidentally, former US National Security Agency head Michael Rogers told The Australian Financial Review this week that to maintain US support for AUKUS, Australian officials should reach out to Trump and his campaign now.

The world will know in November whether Trump is back. If so, Rudd appointed a year ago this month, might have to come home.

If so, that will be Albanese’s problem.