Trump Tells Australian Ambassador Kevin Rudd "All Is Forgiven" After Tense Oval Office Exchange
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Former Prime Minister Kevin Rudd, now serving as Australia’s ambassador to the United States, received a public reprieve from President Donald Trump during Tuesday’s White House meeting, with the U.S. leader declaring “all is forgiven” following years of tensions over Rudd’s past criticism of the American president.
The dramatic moment occurred during Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s visit to Washington, where Rudd accompanied the Australian delegation to the Oval Office for bilateral discussions on trade, defense, and critical minerals cooperation.
Trump addressed Rudd directly during the meeting, telling the ambassador “all is forgiven,” according to multiple accounts from Australian officials who witnessed the exchange.
“The president said to Kevin Rudd, all is forgiven,” Albanese told ABC News Australia in an interview Wednesday morning, characterizing the interaction as “just some banter that went on in response to a question that was asked of the president.”
The exchange became a focal point of Australian media coverage after Trump appeared to criticize Rudd during the public portion of the Oval Office meeting. However, Albanese downplayed the significance of the moment.
“It wasn’t certainly a significant moment,” the Prime Minister said, adding that Rudd remained with the delegation throughout the visit. “Kevin Rudd was with me in the Oval Office afterwards after the meeting. We had the press conference and we had the meeting and then we had time in the Oval Office as well. So all’s good.”
The apparent reconciliation comes after years of strained relations between Trump and Rudd, stemming from Rudd’s previous criticisms of the U.S. President during Trump’s first term and before Rudd’s appointment as ambassador.
Albanese strongly defended Rudd’s performance in the diplomatic role, praising his work multiple times during media appearances in Washington.
“Kevin Rudd is doing a fantastic job as the ambassador,” Albanese said during one interview, adding in another: “Kevin Rudd’s doing a fantastic job. And the work that he did into this outcome is certainly recognised by me and recognised by all of his American friends as well.”
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Foreign Minister Penny Wong reinforced this assessment during her own media availability. “The meeting was a great success and in part that great success was as a consequence of Mr Rudd’s, Ambassador Rudd’s excellent work,” Wong told reporters.
She added: “I mean, there were compliments all around at that meeting.”
The “all is forgiven” comment appeared to defuse what had threatened to become a diplomatic complication. Trump made the remark as reporters were leaving the room, according to Albanese’s account.
“To quote President Trump, all is forgiven. And, you know, he said that while you were exiting the room. Some of you heard that. Some of you reported that. That’s up to you. But Kevin Rudd is doing a fantastic job as the ambassador,” Albanese said in one interview.
The episode prompted sharp criticism from Australia’s opposition coalition, with multiple members questioning whether Rudd’s position remained tenable given past tensions with Trump.
Opposition member Susan Lee appeared on Australian television Tuesday, saying Rudd’s position was “untenable,” according to Albanese’s recounting of opposition comments.
The Prime Minister responded forcefully to these critiques during his ABC interview. “I think it’s all a bit looking to talk themselves into a story and once again they had an option of backing the Australian national interest or playing politics. They chose of course to play politics,” Albanese said.
He accused the opposition of ignoring substantive achievements from the Washington visit, including the critical minerals agreement and AUKUS commitments.
“They ignored the commitments to AUKUS that were being done. I think that they’re too busy focused on each other. I’m focused on the Australian national interest. At some time in the future, maybe they’ll come around to backing Australia as well,” the Prime Minister said.
Wong also addressed questions about whether the government appeared too aligned with one side of U.S. politics, given the warm reception from Trump and the Republican administration.
“We met with the President of the United States. That’s what the Prime Minister of the country does,” Wong said simply when asked about concerns in Canberra regarding partisan appearances.
During Labor’s 2025 election campaign, the party had used Trump’s image in attack advertisements against opposition leader Peter Dutton, linking the two conservatives and using the tagline “dodgy Dutton.” When asked about apparent hypocrisy in now celebrating Trump’s praise, Wong deflected.
“I think today is a day where the country together can say, well, that was a good outcome for Australia and that’s what we should be focused on. It was a really warm meeting, a really positive meeting, and it’s in our interest for there to be a good relationship between the Prime Minister and the President. What we saw was that on display,” Wong responded.
Albanese himself acknowledged using Trump’s words in domestic political messaging. According to Wong’s comments to media, “Anthony Almezi told Donald Trump he’d used his praise in his 2028 re-election campaign material” during Tuesday’s meeting, though this appeared to be a reference to future Australian elections rather than a U.S. campaign.
The successful visit appeared to cement Rudd’s position despite opposition pressure. Albanese made clear he had no intention of replacing the ambassador, repeatedly praising Rudd’s diplomatic work throughout his media appearances.
“The work that he did into this outcome is certainly recognised by me and recognised by all of his American friends as well,” Albanese said.
One reporter in Washington characterized Tuesday’s events as “the festival of Kevin in terms of the Prime Minister,” noting that Albanese mentioned Rudd favorably “three times at least today here in Washington DC” during various media availabilities.
“He’s been out and about just talking up Kevin Rudd, giving him 100% support,” the reporter noted in audio captured during coverage.
The ambassador has been a controversial figure since his appointment, with critics questioning whether his past statements about Trump would hamper his effectiveness in Washington. Rudd previously called Trump’s 2016 election victory “the most destructive U.S. president in history” and made other critical comments during Trump’s first term.
However, Tuesday’s exchange suggested those tensions have eased, at least publicly. The “all is forgiven” comment from Trump provided political cover for both Rudd and the Albanese government, allowing them to move forward without the distraction of ongoing speculation about the ambassador’s future.
Albanese confirmed that the relationship between himself and Trump has developed to the point where direct communication is routine. When asked if he now has Trump’s phone number and whether they would be texting, Albanese responded: “We have a very good relationship and we can talk with each other at any time.”
The successful navigation of the Rudd situation demonstrated Albanese’s diplomatic approach during a visit that produced tangible outcomes including the $8.5 billion critical minerals agreement and renewed AUKUS commitments.
Wong summarized the government’s perspective on the visit: “I’m really pleased, and I know the country is really pleased, that we saw such a warm and positive and constructive discussion between the Prime Minister and the President of the United States.”
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