‘I Don’t Like You Either’: Trump’s White House Showdown With Australian Envoy Who Called Him ‘Village Idiot’

<p>In a tense yet oddly lighthearted exchange at the White House on Monday, U.S. President Donald Trump took aim at Australia&rsquo;s ambassador, former Prime Minister Kevin Rudd, during a meeting with Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese.</p>
<h2>A Tense Moment Amid Friendly Talks</h2>
<p>The encounter unfolded as Trump and Albanese met to reaffirm their nations&rsquo; alliance and finalise a deal on submarines. While the tone of the meeting was largely cordial, things took a sharp turn when a reporter brought up Rudd&rsquo;s past criticisms of Trump.</p>
<p>”Maybe he&rsquo;d like to apologize,” Trump quipped, prompting laughter around the room. Turning to Albanese, the U.S. president added with a smirk, “Where is he? Is he still working for you?”</p>
<p>Albanese, visibly uneasy, gestured toward Rudd, who was seated directly across the table.</p>
<p>”That was before I took this position, Mr. President,” Rudd began to explain. But before he could continue, Trump cut him off.</p>
<p>”I don&rsquo;t like you either,” Trump said bluntly. “I don&rsquo;t. And I probably never will.”</p>
<p>The remark drew chuckles from officials on both sides, and the meeting quickly moved on as another reporter jumped in with a new question.</p>
<h2>Diplomatic Brush-Off From Australia</h2>
<p>Australia&rsquo;s Foreign Affairs Minister Penny Wong later downplayed the exchange, describing Trump&rsquo;s comments as “clearly tongue-in-cheek.”</p>
<p>”We all heard the laughter,” Wong told Australia&rsquo;s Nine Network. “We know it was a very successful meeting, and full credit to Kevin.”</p>
<h2>Rudd&rsquo;s Past Criticisms Resurface</h2>
<p>Rudd, who previously led Australia&rsquo;s Labor Party government, had been a vocal critic of Trump during the former president&rsquo;s time out of office. In social media posts, Rudd labeled Trump “the most destructive president in history” and a “traitor to the West,” accusing him of dragging America and democracy “through the mud” following the January 6 Capitol riot.</p>
<p>Those comments were later deleted after Trump returned to power.</p>
<h2>From Diplomat To Diplomatic Target</h2>
<p>Appointed ambassador during Joe Biden&rsquo;s presidency, Rudd was seen as a strategic choice for his deep expertise on China and fluent Mandarin, assets Canberra believed could strengthen Australia&rsquo;s influence in Washington.</p>
<p>Trump, however, has long made his feelings about Rudd clear. During a campaign interview last year with British politician Nigel Farage, he called Rudd “nasty” and predicted that the former prime minister “won&rsquo;t last long” in his diplomatic post.</p>