Why Trump is sending Australia a bargain-bin US ambassador

You have reached your maximum number of saved items.

Remove items from your saved list to add more.

Amid a busy news cycle, with the chaos at the White House Correspondents Dinner and a dragging failure of negotiations in Iran, Donald Trump announced his pick for the next US ambassador to Australia.

In contrast with the appointment of the most recent ambassador Caroline Kennedy in 2021, this marks a major departure from how previous administrations have approached their relationship with Australia.

For the past 80 years, Australia has been a key ally of the United States, so much so that eight Australian prime ministers have been honoured with official visits to the White House to demonstrate that importance. That’s two more than Britain has had over the same period.

Cultural connections and shared strategic interests have meant that the US typically sends an ambassador with close personal ties to the president. Those ties allowed the ambassador flexibility and autonomy when they showed up in Canberra.

Kennedy, the most recent US ambassador, is the scion of the Kennedy family and a longtime ally of Joe Biden. Trump’s first ambassador, Arthur Culvahouse, had led the vetting process for Trump to pick his first vice president and had served as White House counsel under Ronald Reagan. The two ambassadors under Barack Obama were both longtime friends and trusted allies. George W. Bush sent his longtime business partner and........

© Brisbane Times