Trump Confronts Australian Ambassador Over Past Criticism During White House Meeting

At a White House bilateral with Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, President Donald Trump brusquely told Australia’s ambassador to the U.S., former prime minister Kevin Rudd—who was sitting across the table—“I don’t like you either, and I probably never will,” after a reporter raised Rudd’s past criticisms of Trump. Rudd had tweeted in 2020 that Trump was “the most destructive president in history,” deleted those posts after Trump’s 2024 victory, and was appointed ambassador in March 2023 after a long career in politics and diplomacy. The exchange unfolded amid an otherwise cordial visit in which the leaders signed a deal to boost cooperation on rare earths and critical minerals and discussed broader AUKUS and strategic ties. White House aides and members of the delegations laughed during the moment, which drew attention as an example of Trump mixing personal jabs with high‑stakes diplomatic engagement.