Trump tells Rudd 'I don't like you', reportedly offers forgiveness off-camera

Donald Trump has told Australia's ambassador to the US, Kevin Rudd, "I don't like you, and I probably never will" to his face.

Mr Rudd was surrounded by journalists when he received the brutal remark while sitting across from Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Mr Trump in the White House Cabinet Room.

It was the first in-person meeting between Mr Albanese and Mr Trump.

The prime minister and Australian ministers laughed off the exchange, but the federal opposition said it was "untenable" for Mr Rudd to continue as ambassador.

His suitability for the role has been under a cloud since Mr Trump's election victory.

Despite previously calling the former prime minister "not the brightest bulb", Mr Trump indicated he did not know Mr Rudd when he was asked by a journalist whether their relationship was behind the long delay to the president finally meeting Mr Albanese.

"I don't know anything about him — if he said bad [things] maybe he would like to apologise," Mr Trump said.

After a long wait, Anthony Albanese (left) and Donald Trump finally met in person. (ABC News)

Mr Trump turned to Mr Albanese to ask "did an ambassador say something bad about me?" to which Mr Albanese responded with a quiet laugh and smile.

"Don't tell me, I don't want to know," Mr Trump quickly joked.

The president then asked Mr Albanese if the man in question still worked for the government.

Mr Albanese laughed and pointed across the table at Mr Rudd.

"You said bad?" Trump then asked Mr Rudd.

Mr Rudd began to explain he had been critical before taking on the role of ambassador, when Mr Trump interrupted to say "I don't like you either".

"And I probably never will," he added, before taking more questions from journalists.

Kevin Rudd, pictured here in 2021, approached Donald Trump for an off-camera discussion after the exchange. (ABC News: Tamara Penniket)

Australian officials confirmed that after the meeting Mr Rudd offered a new apology to Mr Trump, who said he was forgiven.

In March last year, Mr Trump suggested Mr Rudd may not remain as ambassador "for long" under his presidency.

He was responding to now-deleted tweets by Mr Rudd calling the president "destructive" and a "traitor to the West".

Mr Rudd's remarks had been put to Mr Trump by conservative politician Nigel Farage in an interview and, while it was not clear whether the president actually knew of Mr Rudd at the time, the issue has surrounded the ambassador since.

The Coalition has openly questioned Mr Rudd's suitability for the job and attempted to draw a link with the delay in Mr Albanese and Mr Trump meeting to Mr Rudd.

Speaking on ABC AM, Foreign Minister Penny Wong said Mr Trump's remarks to Mr Rudd were "clearly tongue in cheek".

"Kevin did an extremely good job, not only in getting the meeting, but doing the work on the critical minerals deal and AUKUS … and the success of [the] meeting reflects that work," Senator Wong said.

But Opposition leader Sussan Ley rejected the suggestion that the remarks were lighthearted.

"That's not my take-out," she told Channel Seven.