Kevin Rudd has purged his social media accounts of posts disparaging Donald Trump, after the former US president’s re-election raised the prospect the Australian ambassador’s past comments could compromise his relationship with the incoming administration.

Donald Trump has raced to erase insulting posts about Donald Trump like this from his social media. Elly Lawson, the deputy secretary of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, told The Australian that the insults were made when Mr Rudd ran a US think-tank in New York and before he was appointed ambassador.

Australia's ambassador to the United States, Kevin Rudd, has deleted a raft of social media posts criticising Donald Trump after his victory in yesterday's election.The former prime minister had labelled Trump "the most destructive president in history" in a 2020 tweet from his personal account – before he was appointed ambassador – adding that he "drags America and democracy through the mud".

Australia’s Ambassador to the US Kevin Rudd has revealed that he deleted a number of social media posts in which he had been critical of Donald Trump, aiming for a clean slate in ties with the now president-elect.

Canberra’s ambassador to the US was “looking forward” to working with Donald Trump despite calling him “destructive” and a “traitor”, while the Australian Prime Minister spoke for the first time with the President-elect who “scares the sh--t out” of him.