Australian Ambassador to the U.S. Kevin Rudd is leaving his post after butting heads with President Donald Trump. (Denis Balibouse/File Photo/Reuters; Nathan Howard/Reuters)
Rudd, who previously served as Australia's prime minister, thanked Albanese and Wong for their "kind remarks" ahead of his departure and gave some insight into his new role.
"I will be remaining in America working between New York and Washington on the future of U.S.-China relations, which I have always believed to be the core question for the future stability of our region and the world," Rudd wrote in an X post from his unofficial account.
On his official X account, Rudd said that "It has been an honor to serve as Australia’s Ambassador to the United States over the last three years. I thank the Prime Minister and the Foreign Minister for their kind remarks today."
Rudd is no stranger to Asia Society, as he served as the organization's president and CEO 2021-2023. He was also the inaugural President of the Asia Society Policy Institute (ASPI) for nearly 10 years, holding the position from 2015 until 2023. Now, he is set to serve as the president and CEO of the organization and will hold a leading role in the ASPI’s Center for China Analysis, which he established in 2022, according to Asia Society.
Dr. Kevin Rudd, Australia's ambassador to the US, during the 2025 IIF annual membership meeting in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday, Oct. 15, 2025. ( Aaron Schwartz/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
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"This has been done to eliminate the possibility of such comments being misconstrued as reflecting his positions as ambassador and, by extension, the views of the Australian Government. Ambassador Rudd looks forward to working with President Trump and his team to continue strengthening the US-Australia alliance," a statement from Rudd's office that was shared with Fox News Digital in November 2024 read.
It is not immediately clear whether these past remarks played a role in Rudd's departure. However, a Trump administration official told Fox News Digital that Rudd "worked well with President Trump and the administration." The official added that "We wish him well."
Fox News Digital reached out to Rudd and the White House for comment.
Rachel Wolf is a breaking news writer for Fox News Digital and FOX Business.
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/foreign-ambassador-leave-us-post-after-trump-criticism