Kevin Rudd, a former Australian prime minister and current ambassador to the United States in Washington, deleted a tweet criticizing President-elect Donald Trump after winning the presidential election.
Rudd described Trump as “the most destructive president in history” in a 2020 post, NDTV reported.
He served as Australia's 26th Prime Minister and leader of the Labor Party from 2007 to 2010, and was re-elected in 2013 after a brief stint as Australia's Foreign Minister.
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The comments were made while Rudd was director of the Asia Social Policy Institute, which was recognized by Columbia University's World Leaders Forum as a “top of the agenda for policy issues within and between Asia.'' “He is dedicated to leveraging second-track diplomacy to support governments and businesses in resolving issues.” Western. ”
Former Prime Minister Kevin Rudd unveils his official portrait by Ralph Hymans at Parliament House in Canberra. August 10, 2023. (Alex Ellinghausen/Sydney Morning Herald via Getty Images)
A statement shared with FOX News Digital from Ambassador Rudd's office said: “In his previous role as director of a U.S.-based independent think tank, Mr. Rudd was a regular commentator on U.S. politics. “Out of respect for the office of the President,” and following President Trump's election, Ambassador Rudd has now removed these past commentaries from his personal website and social media channels. ”
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“This was done to eliminate the possibility that such comments could be misconstrued as reflecting his position as ambassador and, by extension, the Australian government's views. Ambassador Rudd continues to support the strengthening of the United States. “We look forward to working with President Trump and his team towards the 'Australian Alliance,'” the statement concluded.
Ambassador Rudd has since shared several posts on social media site X congratulating President-elect Trump, including one in which he claims to have personally called Trump.
Republican presidential candidate and former President Donald Trump arrives to speak at an election night event at the Palm Beach Convention Center on November 6, 2024 in West Palm Beach, Florida. Americans voted today in the presidential election between Republican candidates former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris, as well as in several state elections that will determine the balance of power in Congress. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
“It was great to speak directly to President Trump this morning and personally congratulate him on his election victory,” Rudd wrote in a post on November 6. Well, we talked about AUKUS.'' We look forward to working together on trade and investment for the benefit of both countries. ”
The AUKUS Agreement is a trilateral alliance of the United States, Australia, and the United Kingdom established in 2021 to promote security in the Indo-Pacific region.
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Ambassador Kevin Rudd's office had no further comment on the Fox News Digital investigation.
