Australia’s Ambassador to the US, Kevin Rudd, has been blamed for the strained relationship between the two countries, according to Donald Trump’s former pollster Brent Buchanan.
Buchanan told Sky News Australia that Rudd is one of the main reasons Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has been unable to schedule a face-to-face meeting with Trump.
A “Biggest Issue” in the Alliance
As Trump’s former pollster, Buchanan believes Rudd’s role as Australia’s representative in the US is a major barrier to Albanese securing a meeting with the President.
“I think he doesn’t like the current ambassador, and that’s one of the biggest issues,” Buchanan said.
Buchanan’s firm has worked exclusively with Republican clients and has conducted polling for all three of Trump’s campaigns.
The Power of Personal Relationships
According to Buchanan, Trump needs to find an Australian that he likes, or Australia needs to find an Australian that Trump likes, in order to establish a direct line with the President.
“So much with Donald Trump is personal relationships,” Buchanan explained.
An ambassador plays a critical role in opening doors to the Trump administration for certain countries, and Buchanan believes Australia is struggling to establish a connection due to Rudd’s previous scathing commentary about Trump.
However, Buchanan added that Trump is a deal maker, and if you bring a deal, he’s going to talk it through.
Rudd’s anti-Trump Comments
Rudd has a long history of making anti-Trump comments, having previously called him a “village idiot”, a “traitor to the West”, and the “most destructive president in history”.
When asked about Rudd’s comments, Trump said he didn’t know much about the former Australian Prime Minister, but if he was “hostile”, he wouldn’t be in the role for long.
Albanese Refuses to Replace Rudd
Despite Trump’s warning, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has refused to replace Rudd as ambassador to the US, despite Rudd’s comments. Albanese is a long-time ally and supporter of Rudd.