Why Kevin Rudd won’t want to give up his top Washington job – as his incredible perks are revealed
Kevin Rudd could be forced to give up his six-figure salary and multi-million dollar luxury home if he accepts calls to resign as US ambassador after his past comments about Donald Trump resurfaced and sparked outrage .
Australia’s ambassador to the US has branded the president-elect a “village idiot”, a “traitor to the West” and “the most destructive president in history”.
There are increasing voices calling on Prime Minister Anthony Albanese to fire Rudd and appoint someone else who can build a better relationship with Trump’s new government.
Trump has also expressed his disapproval of Australia’s former prime minister, labeling him “nasty.”
‘I don’t know much about him. I heard he was a bit mean,” Trump told GB News earlier this year.
“I hear he’s not the brightest light bulb, but I don’t know much about him. If he’s at all hostile, he won’t stay there long.’
And one of Trump’s top campaign advisers, Dan Scavino Jr., indicated that Rudd would not last long under the current administration.
Mr Scavino Jr shared Mr Rudd’s congratulatory message to the new president-elect on X and posted an hourglass GIF, suggesting his days were numbered.
Australia’s ambassador to the US, Kevin Rudd (pictured), has branded the president-elect a ‘village idiot’, a ‘traitor to the West’ and ‘the most destructive president in history’. He has become famous in Washington for his parties, including a Pride celebration in 2023 that featured several drag queens (pictured)
As Australian ambassador to the US, Mr Rudd lives in a palatial red-brick mansion (pictured) in leafy Woodley Park, just a ten-minute drive from the White House in the heart of Washington DC
But Rudd is unlikely to leave quietly, especially given the vast number of benefits he receives as one of Australia’s top diplomats.
Although his salary is not made public by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, it is believed to be between $300,000 and $441,000.
This is in addition to his parliamentary pension, estimated at $216,000 a year, and his many lucrative academic appointments.
As Australian ambassador to the US, Mr Rudd lives in a palatial red-brick mansion in leafy Woodley Park, just a ten-minute drive from the White House in the heart of Washington DC.
Known as White Oaks, the landmark building was built in 1923 and was originally the home of General George Patton, a towering and controversial figure in American military history.
It features the only grass tennis court in all of Washington, which was restored and renovated by Mr Rudd’s predecessor, Joe Hockey, after it fell into disrepair.
The court has organized competitions involving senior members of Congress, military leaders, foreign diplomats and possible high-ranking members of Trump’s new administration.
In July, Mr. Rudd invited Vivek Ramaswamy, a nationally ranked junior tennis player and the man tasked Tuesday with co-leading the Department of Government Efficiency with Elon Musk, for a try on the private court.
Mr Rudd is also known in Washington for his invitations to lavish parties – often at the expense of Australian taxpayers.
In June 2023 – less than three months after taking up his new role in the US – Mr Rudd hosted a lavish Pride party in White Oaks.
The event, which featured a rainbow balloon installation, drag queens and copious amounts of food and drinks, cost about $23,000.
And in August this year he was accused of turning the US embassy in central Washington into a “party house” after internal documents released under freedom of information laws showed how thousands of dollars were spent on booze , butlers and a barbecue.
President-elect Trump (pictured) has also expressed his disapproval of Mr Rudd, calling him ‘nasty’
It emerged that Mr Rudd had organized an Awards Gala Night in January, with the US Embassy spending $36,000 on a performance by opera singer Amy Manford and $26,000 on Channel 10 presenter Narelda Jacobs to emcee the evening.
DFAT said costs for the event, which was attended by 200 people, came from an embassy sponsorship fund.
Another invoice showed that the embassy had spent more than $15,000 on a new barbecue.
James Stevens, spokesman for the opposition Waste, accused Mr Rudd of “turning the Australian embassy into a party house”.
“From pride parties to glitzy gala dinners, Rudd’s reputation for fun and frivolity is still intact,” Mr Stevens said.
‘Australia is quickly gaining a reputation in the US for its exuberant parties and high incomes.
“This couldn’t be further from the experience of Australian families struggling to pay their mortgages, rent and electricity bills under the Albanian government.”