Kevin Rudd takes a cheeky dig at Donald Trump as he launches new project after stepping down as US ambassador

By CAITLIN POWELL - NEWS REPORTER Published: 02:56, 20 May 2026 | Updated: 02:56, 20 May 2026 Kevin Rudd has used a newsletter to take a cheeky dig at Donald Trump, almost two months after he left his government post in Washington.  Rudd stepped down from the role of Australia's Ambassador to the United States on March 31 after a fraught few years alongside Donald Trump. Over the years, the pair engaged in a war of words. Rudd had labelled Trump a 'village idiot', a 'traitor to the West' and the 'most destructive' president in US history. When asked about the comments in a room full of reporters last year, Trump turned to Rudd and said: 'I don't like you either, and probably never will.' There was a 'genuine' apology from the then-ambassador in October, but Trump later told a reporter he did not forget the 'bad' comments.  The end to Rudd's stewardship as ambassador was then announced in January, after which he became President and CEO of the Asia Society think tank, based in the US. But he has now launched an email newsletter, in a move that follows the path of fellow ex PM Tony Abbott and former Queensland MP George Christensen, whose newsletter is one of the most popular in Australia. After years in Washington, Rudd chose to focus his debut post on the United States, titling it 'On the Resilience of America'. Former Australian Ambassador to the United States Kevin Rudd (pictured, left, with Anthony Albanese) has used a newsletter to take aim at Donald Trump Rudd referenced the Trump administration's tendency to threaten to 'annex' countries The lengthy post was not fresh analysis but a transcript of his commencement address to the Price School of Public Policy at the University of Southern California last week.  Three lines in, he could not help but take a swipe at Trump's tendency to threaten to 'annex' territories or countries. 'We in Australia see you in California as our natural American neighbours and cousins, just across that largish pond which lies to our east, and your west, which some call the Pacific,' Rudd said. 'That said, you'll be pleased to know that we in Australia have decided, in absolute solidarity with the Canadians, to shelve, at least for the time being, our long-held ambition of annexing California as Australia's next state.  'So, Californians, relax - you can remain American for now.' Since early January, Trump has threatened to annex the autonomous Danish territory of Greenland, a mineral-rich nation in the Atlantic Ocean. A year before, in February 2025, then-Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was caught on a hot mic suggesting Trump had considered making Canada his '51st' state. 'Mr Trump has it in mind that the easiest way to do it is absorbing our country and it is a real thing,' he said. Rudd's debut post on his Substack newsletter was a transcript of his  his commencement address to the Price School of Public Policy at the University of Southern California last week Rudd also poked fun at Australia, sarcastically saying that people in the country are, like Californians and Americans, 'such a shy and retiring people'. 'When you’re down there, watch out for the sharks, the snakes, the spiders, the things that bite you - not to mention a few crocs - because they regard Americans as a particular delicacy,' he added. He then went on to share motivational quotes from former US Presidents Franklin D. Roosevelt and Abraham Lincoln, as well as Chinese philosopher Confucius. The former prime minister referenced his own resume and a series of 'demotions' over the last decade, adding that resilience is what helps people navigate several jobs. 'In my own career it has been the exact reverse, given that my most recent record of the last decade has been one not of systematic promotion, but of systematic demotion,' he said. 'I’ve done it all in reverse: first Prime Minister, then Foreign Minister, then Ambassador, now head of a think tank.  'Maybe my next job will be back in Beijing as First Secretary in the embassy where I began 40 years ago.' No comments have so far been submitted. Why not be the first to send us your thoughts, or debate this issue live on our message boards. By posting your comment you agree to our house rules. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual We will automatically post your comment and a link to the news story to your Facebook timeline at the same time it is posted on MailOnline. To do this we will link your MailOnline account with your Facebook account. We’ll ask you to confirm this for your first post to Facebook. You can choose on each post whether you would like it to be posted to Facebook. Your details from Facebook will be used to provide you with tailored content, marketing and ads in line with our Privacy Policy.