Read the Australian government’s gushing two sentence defence of Kevin Rudd – amid calls for him to be fired as ambassador to the US following criticism of Trump

The federal government has strongly defended Australia’s under-fire ambassador to the US, former Prime Minister Kevin Rudd.

Rudd has been under increasing pressure since Donald Trump, whom he called a “village idiot” and “incoherent”, won the US presidential election last week.

When asked during the election campaign about some of the “terrible things” Rudd had said about him, Trump said: “If that’s the case, he won’t be there long.”

‘I don’t know much about him. I heard he was a bit mean. I hear it’s not the brightest bulb. If he’s at all hostile, he won’t be there much longer.”

One of Trump’s senior advisers, Dan Scavino Jr, this week posted a GIF of sand falling through an hourglass next to a message from Rudd renouncing some of his previous social media posts about the president-elect, in an ominous clue as to how the ex-Prime Minister’s statements have been received in the US.

But Trump does not get to choose who Australia sends as ambassador to Washington; the federal government of Australia does.

“Former Prime Minister Rudd is a very effective ambassador,” a spokesperson for the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade told Daily Mail Australia.

“He is recognized throughout the Australian Parliament as doing an excellent job in representing Australian interests in the United States.”

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has also defended Rudd, saying he is “doing a great job as Australia’s ambassador to the United States.”

Mr Albanese added that “it says a lot about how important we consider the relationship with the United States that we have appointed a former prime minister.”

But Rudd appeared surprised when Trump won the US election, and just hours after the results were announced, he deleted his previous critical posts about the new president on X.

In a statement, Rudd’s office said: ‘In his previous role as head of an independent US think tank, Rudd was a regular commentator on US politics.

“Out of respect for the office of President of the United States, and following the election of President Trump, Ambassador Rudd has now removed these past comments from his personal website and social media channels.

“This has been done to eliminate the possibility of such comments being misinterpreted as reflecting his views as ambassador and, by extension, the views of the Australian government.”

The government’s concerns about the consequences of Rudd having to deal with a US president who does not want him there have also drawn Foreign Secretary Penny Wong into the debate.

Rudd has been under increasing pressure since Donald Trump, whom he had regularly criticized, won the US presidential election last week. Donald and Melania Trump are pictured

“I have confidence, remain confident in Kevin (Rudd),” he told Sky News. “Kevin has been an excellent ambassador and I am confident he will continue to be.”

However, she admitted that the incoming US president has big plans for the next four years.

“President Trump campaigned for change, so we should not be surprised if change comes,” Ms Wong said.

“We must be confident in our ability to work together to advance Australia’s interests.”

Amid concerns about the impact of Trump’s plans for high tariffs on Australia, the president-elect offered a friendly greeting during a phone call with Mr Albanese last week.

Trump, who will be sworn in for his second term as president on January 20, told the prime minister: “We are going to be perfect friends.”

The phone call, around 10am Canberra time on Thursday, was the first between the pair since Trump defeated Kamala Harris in the US election.

The Labor government said the call to Mr Albanese was one of the president-elect’s first calls to a world leader after Mr Trump’s decisive victory.

During the call, the incoming president emphasized the importance of the long-standing, strong relationship between America and Australia.

The Prime Minister spoke about the $368 billion AUKUS nuclear submarine deal and pointed out that the US has a trade surplus with Australia.

This last point could be crucial, as Trump’s promise to restrict Chinese imports with a 60 percent tariff is a major concern for the Albanian government.

Any blow to China, Australia’s largest trading partner, is likely to have repercussions down under.

“A renewed trade war between the US and China is bad for the US and Chinese economies,” Commonwealth Bank of Australia analysts said.

“And what’s bad for China is bad for Australia, Korea and New Zealand because of the high exposure to Chinese domestic demand.”

But before Australia faces the fallout from Trump’s tariff regime, it must consider whether or not it is worth holding on to a US ambassador who has previously been a thorn in the side of the new US president.