Sussan Ley mutes calls for Rudd removal after Trump run-in

Opposition Leader Sussan Ley has shied away from earlier calls for Kevin Rudd to be sacked from his post as Australia’s ambassador to the United States as disunity broke out within Liberal ranks about the former prime minister’s future.

Former Coalition frontbencher Jane Hume disparaged her leader’s calls for Rudd to be sent home as “churlish” as Prime Minister Anthony Albanese backed him following US President Donald Trump’s declaration at the White House on Tuesday that he would never like Rudd.

Hume’s decision on Wednesday to defend Rudd, who quickly made up with Trump, directly undercut Ley’s claim from a day earlier that Rudd’s position was “untenable” and opposition trade spokesman Kevin Hogan’s demand for Rudd’s posting to be terminated.

Hume, who was removed from the frontbench by Ley following the Coalition’s disastrous election defeat, told Sky that Rudd should be acknowledged for his “good work” as ambassador and branded the calls for his removal “a little bit churlish”.

“We’ve got an outcome that was in the national interest; it’s something that we should acknowledge and celebrate,” she said.

Ley then softened her rhetoric on Rudd on Wednesday, saying: “Kevin Rudd is the prime minister’s choice for ambassador. It’s a big job. What was clear yesterday was that the prime minister has a lot of catching up to do with respect to the relationship with the US and the next steps.”

Former prime minister Tony Abbott told Sky News that while he and Rudd had had their differences: “I think that he’s done a good job for Australia in Washington.”

The much-anticipated White House visit involved both leaders signing a major critical minerals deal – estimated to unlock $US8.5 billion ($13.1 billion) in rare earths projects – and affirming the AUKUS defence pact, which remains under review by the US Pentagon.

Speaking in Washington, Albanese said he told Trump that Australia’s decision to send a former prime minister as its ambassador to the US showed how much the country valued the relationship, noting it was not the norm, and it was a job Rudd “didn’t need to do”.

Addressing Rudd directly at an event marking the 140th anniversary of mining giant BHP, Albanese said: “I thank you today, very much publicly – for the success of this visit is down to your hard work.”

Appearing on Nine’s Today Show, Albanese said Rudd would remain the ambassador. “You bet he is. We’ve appointed him for four years and he’s doing a fantastic job.” This masthead reported on Tuesday that Rudd’s posting was due to end in March 2027, but could be extended.

At a news conference, Albanese dismissed questions about remaining uncertainties in the AUKUS agreement.

“We’re not pre-empting that,” Albanese said. He said the US side put forward the changes to the agreement they were seeking, but refused to discuss them publicly.

During the public portion of the meeting, US Navy Secretary John Phelan said there were “ambiguities” about AUKUS that still had to be ironed out.

Trump described these matters as “minor”, while Albanese has since played them down, instructing reporters: “Don’t look for something that’s not there.”

Albanese said he spent nearly three hours with Trump on Tuesday, including a tour of the Oval Office and White House grounds, and a private meeting with the US president.

He confirmed he asked Trump for relief from the so-called reciprocal 10 per cent tariffs – which Australia argues should be set at zero – but indicated there was no immediate answer from the US. “Yes, I did [seek tariff relief], and we’ll continue to engage,” he said.

As part of the visit, Australia gave the Trumps official gifts: a model submarine for him, and jewellery for first lady Melania Trump. Later, Albanese met Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and had dinner with Secretary of State Marco Rubio at the Australian ambassador’s residence.

However, the visit was nearly overshadowed when Trump was asked about Rudd’s old tweets – made before he became ambassador – calling Trump a “destructive” figure and a “traitor to the West”.

“You said bad? I don’t like you either,” Trump told Rudd to laughter in the room. “And I probably never will.” Australian sources in the room said Rudd later apologised for a second time and Trump assured him all was forgiven.

In addition to the BHP lunch, Albanese also praised Rudd to dozens of American senators and members of Congress at a high-powered breakfast function with the Friends of Australia Caucus.

“If there’s a harder working ambassador on [Capitol Hill], then please let me know because Kevin works his guts out, and he seems to know everything,” Albanese said.

About 40 people attended the function at Blair House, including the co-chairs of the Friends of Australia group – Republican congressman Michael McCaul and Democratic congressman Joe Courtney – and several US senators from across the political aisle among about two dozen other lawmakers.

McCaul made light of Rudd’s encounter with Trump. “I’m glad you’re still gainfully employed,” he said.

Speaking about the AUKUS pact, which is underpinned by legislation in Congress, McCaul said Rudd “was there every step of the way”.

“We have no greater ally and partner than Australia,” he said. With weaponry made in Australia such as the Navy’s Ghost Shark autonomous underwater vehicle, the two countries had the ability to “flood the zone” in the Indo-Pacific, McCaul said.

Rudd later accompanied Albanese to meetings at the US Congress, including with Hakeem Jeffries, the leader of the Democrats in the House of Representatives, and with senior members of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, including Republican committee chair Jim Risch and the top Democrat on the committee, Jeanne Shaheen.

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