In international diplomacy, it is common for egos to clash and alliances to teeter on the edge of rhetoric. Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese emerged from his long-awaited meeting with President Donald Trump looking like a man who’s dodged a metaphorical political bullet.

But not a real one, like the good President.

Make no mistake, it wasn’t Albo’s savvy negotiation skills or Labor’s foreign policy prowess that pulled him from the brink. No, it was the sheer grace of President Trump that saved Albo’s behind from what could have been a total humiliation on the global stage.

With Trump back in the White House, the US-Australia relationship was already strained by the echoes of the past. Kevin Rudd, Australia’s Ambassador to the United States and a former Prime Minister himself, never shied away from a Twitter tirade.

For years, Kevin Rudd lambasted Trump with the kind of vitriol that makes even seasoned diplomats wince. From calling him a ‘destroyer of the international order’ to labelling his presidency a ‘dark period’, Rudd’s comments were hardly the stuff of bridge-building. When Trump won re-election, it was inevitable that those words would come back to haunt not just Rudd, but the entire Australian government.

Albo’s meeting with Trump was billed as a chance for a reset and to reaffirm the Aukus alliance, discuss trade, and smooth over any ruffled feathers.

But lurking in the background was (as others have said) the Rudd-shaped elephant in the room.

Trump, ever the master of leverage, could have easily used Rudd’s past insults as ammunition to publicly embarrass Australia, demanding his removal as a precondition for any productive dialogue.

Instead, Trump chose magnanimity.

Reports from after the meeting suggest Trump extended an olive branch, focusing on shared interests rather than settling old scores. He even handed Albo the photo-op and soundbites needed to project strength back home.

Make no mistake, this wasn’t Albo’s luck. It was Trump’s grace in action.

The President, known for his no-holds-barred style, could have turned the encounter into a spectacle of retribution. Imagine the headlines: ‘Trump Demands Rudd’s Head, Albo Caves’. That would have left Albanese looking weak, indecisive, and utterly outmatched.

But Trump, perhaps recognising the value of a stable, long-time ally in the Indo-Pacific, opted for statesmanship over spectacle. In doing so, he didn’t just save the meeting, he saved Albo from a diplomatic debacle that could have eroded public confidence in Labor’s leadership.

Of course, Albo will now claim victory. We’ll hear the spin about how he stared down the Don, secured commitments on rare earth minerals and defence, and proved Australia’s relevance in a Trump-led world. But let’s be real.

This outcome was about as deserved as a lottery win after buying a single ticket.

As other commentators noted, Albo is so lucky he should head straight to the nearest newsagent and scratch off a few more.

Without Trump’s unexpected restraint, the meeting could have devolved into a public dressing-down, exposing the fractures in Australia’s US strategy and forcing Albo into a corner on Rudd’s fate.

Speaking of Rudd, he was the perfect fall guy in this saga.

His ambassadorship, a plum posting gifted by the Labor government, has been marred by his inability to separate personal grudges from professional duties. In a role demanding tact and neutrality, Rudd’s anti-Trump crusade was a liability waiting to explode.

Throwing Rudd under the bus, or at least signalling his expendability, would have been a small price for Albo to pay for smoother relations. Yet, thanks to Trump’s grace, Albo might dodge that bullet too, at least for now.

But here’s my take. Kevin Rudd must be dismissed as Australia’s Ambassador to the United States. His position is untenable in a Trump Administration, and clinging to him risks further alienating our most crucial ally.

Australia deserves better than relying on luck and the goodwill of others, and we don’t need Rudd as a dead weight in Washington.

As for Albo, ‘The Man of Lead’, we can only hope that he will get his act together. With an opposition too busy looking after its woke mates, there’s little chance of anyone getting rid of the Man of Lead anytime soon.

Dr Michael de Percy @FlaneurPolitiq is the Spectator Australia’s Canberra Press Gallery Correspondent. If you would like to support his writing, or read more of Michael, please visit his website.