Kennedy’s Republican predecessor, Arthur Culvahouse, who was appointed by Donald Trump, ended his term on January 19, 2021, the day before Biden’s inauguration.
Kennedy previously served as US ambassador to Japan under Barack Obama from 2013 to 2017.
She could possibly agree to a request by Kamala Harris to extend her time in Australia, but this is a hypothetical scenario.
Kennedy made a surprise guest appearance at the Summernats car festival in Canberra in January.Credit: Instagram
It is seen as extremely unlikely that Kennedy would agree to serve under Trump, given their political differences.
A spokesman for the US embassy said: “At the end of US presidential terms, all political ambassadors customarily submit resignation letters.
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“That is the typical practice as they are representatives of the current administration.”
Kennedy landed with impact in Australia in 2022, chiding a male journalist for speaking over a female reporter at her arrival press conference.
She has worked behind the scenes to secure congressional support to pass legislation to loosen US export rules to Australia and the transfer of nuclear-powered submarines.
In terms of public diplomacy, she has focused on projecting soft power by presenting a friendly image of the US rather than delivering hard-edged policy speeches.
Michael Fullilove, executive director of the Lowy Institute international affairs think tank, said last year he had been impressed by Kennedy’s “understated manner, her conscientiousness and her curiosity”.
“And of course, she has the ultimate ambassadorial superpower: the ability to get the president of the United States on the line,” he said.
Caroline Kennedy’s “soft power” approach to winning hearts and minds. Credit:
Kennedy told an Asia Society event last week that her Australian posting, like her previous stint in Japan, had an “enormous personal dimension” for her.
She drove across the outback this year as part of a “shitbox rally” to raise money for cancer research and travelled to Solomon Islands with her son, Jack Schlossberg, in 2023 to recreate part of the famous 1.2-kilometre swim her father made in 1943 when his navy ship was rammed and sunk by a Japanese destroyer.
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