‘He doesn't like Rudd': Kevin Rudd deemed ‘biggest issue' blocking Anthony Albanese meeting with President Donald Trump
Donald Trump's former pollster has urged Australia to dump Kevin Rudd as its US Ambassador, telling Sky News Australia he is a major barrier to Anthony Albanese securing a meeting with the US President.
Renowned US pollster Brent Buchanan told Sky News Australia that Mr Rudd's role as Australia's representative was a key reason Mr Albanese had been unable to schedule a face-to-face meeting with the US President.
'I think he doesn't like the current ambassador, and that's one of the biggest issues,' Mr Buchanan told Sky News host Laura Jayes.
'Donald Trump needs to find an Australian that he likes - or Australia needs to find an Australian that Donald Trump likes and let that person take point - because so much with Donald Trump is personal relationships.'
The pollster said an Ambassador was critical in opening doors to the Trump administration for "certain countries", flagging Australia was struggling to establish a direct line with the President due to Rudd's previous scathing commentary.
'But Donald Trump's a deal maker, and so if you bring a deal, he's going to talk through it,' he said.
Mr Buchanan said that the one positive for Rudd was that he's a China expert, which was 'a great opportunity to build relationships with our Congress ... which is anti-China'.
The former Australian Prime Minister has a long history of 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 Mr Rudd's comments during an interview with Nigel Farage last year, 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.
'I don't know much about him. I heard he was a little bit nasty. I hear he's not the brightest bulb. But I don't know much about him," Trump said.
'But if he's at all hostile, he will not be there long.'
However Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, who is a long-time ally and supporter of Mr Rudd, has refused to replace him as ambassador to the US.
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