Dr Rudd’s tenure as Ambassador to the US will end on 26 March. Photo: DFAT.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has announced this morning (13 January) that Kevin Rudd will end his tenure as Australia’s Ambassador to the United States in March, a year earlier than expected.
The surprise announcement comes a day after Mr Albanese said Australia would not participate in any possible US action against the Iranian regime as has been threatened by US President Donald Trump in recent days.
Dr Rudd served as Australia’s 26th prime minister from 2007 to 2010, as foreign minister from 2010 to 2012, and then briefly returned as prime minister in 2013. He was appointed as Ambassador to the US in March 2023.
At three years, Dr Rudd’s tenure will be at the shorter end of the scale for Australian ambassadors. His predecessor Arthur Sinodinos also served for three years, while before him Joe Hockey was in Washington for four years, and Kim Beazley for nearly six years.
Before taking up the US post during Joe Biden’s presidency, Dr Rudd had previously been heavily critical of Mr Trump, calling him a “village idiot” in a 2017 video. Later in a series of tweets, he described Trump as “a traitor to the West”.
“He drags America and democracy through the mud,” the now deleted tweets read. “He thrives on fomenting, not healing, division. He abuses Christianity, church and Bible to justify violence.”
When those tweets were read out to him in an interview with UK MP and Reform Party Leader Nigel Farage, Trump described Dr Rudd as “nasty”, and said he “won’t be there long”.
During an October 2025 visit to Washington by Mr Albanese, Rudd supported the visit and was in the room when a reporter asked Mr Trump about Rudd’s previous comments. Trump appeared to not initially remember the tweets nor recognise Rudd who was sitting directly opposite him, before the penny appeared to drop.
“You said bad?” Trump appeared to ask the clearly flustered ambassador, before adding, “I don’t like you either, and I probably never will.”
Despite suggestions Rudd had apologised and the two had reportedly buried the hatchet later that day, Trump said a few days later that he didn’t forget when people said “bad things” about him.
Whether Rudd’s comments have tainted the relationship or not is unclear, but Rudd has reportedly done solid work as ambassador in shoring up support in the US on both sides of politics for AUKUS, and in smoothing the way for its industrial aspirations under the government’s ambitious sovereign Guided Weapons and Explosive Ordnance (GWEO) enterprise.
He also helped negotiate the Critical Minerals and Rare Earths Framework Agreement with the US, helped secure a bilateral critical technology agreement for US investment in Australian data centre, AI and quantum projects, and worked to secure Julian Assange’s return to Australia.
It is also worth noting that, more than 14 months after US Ambassador to Australia Caroline Kennedy vacated her post and at a time when it is vital to maintain strong and open communications links with an increasingly bullish US administration, Trump is yet to nominate a successor.
In a joint statement announcing Mr Rudd’s departure, Mr Albanese and Foreign Minister Penny Wong thanked him for “his tireless contribution to our national interests over the last three years in Washington”.
“Dr Rudd has delivered concrete outcomes for Australia – during both Democrat and Republican administrations – in collaboration with our closest security ally and principal strategic partner,” they said.
“We thank Dr Rudd for his exceptional service as ambassador, and as a former prime minister and foreign minister of Australia.”
In a press conference in Canberra this morning, Mr Albanese said the decision to step down was entirely Dr Rudd’s, and that there had been no pressure from the Trump administration.
“I met with Kevin a while ago; this opportunity was there for Kevin,” he said.
“He is finishing up a year early, but he has served for three years.
“Kevin Rudd has a work ethic unlike anyone I have ever met. He has worked tirelessly. He’s moving on to a role that he believes is pivotal.”
Mr Albanese said the posting would end on 31 March, after which Dr Rudd would take on the role of global President of the Asia Society think tank, a position he previously held from 2021 to 2023.
In a brief statement on Facebook, Dr Rudd said it had been an “honour to serve as Australia’s Ambassador to the United States over the last three years”.
“I thank the Prime Minister and the Foreign Minister for their kind remarks today.
“I will be remaining in America working between New York and Washington on the future of US-China relations, which I have always believed to be the core question for the future stability of our region and the world.”
In a separate statement, co-chairs of the Asia Society Board of Trustees, John L. Thornton and Chan Heng Chee said, “We are thrilled that Kevin has accepted the board’s invitation to lead Asia Society at such a critical moment for the institution, the Asia-Pacific, and the world.
“He is a true statesman and a visionary leader with peerless experience.”
Original Article published by Andrew McLaughlin on Region Canberra.
