US President Donald Trump has taken another swipe at Kevin Rudd despite having reportedly forgiven Australia’s ambassador for past remarks about him.

Rudd’s savage criticism of Trump — including labelling him the “most destructive president in history” — came back to haunt him when Trump was signing a rare earths and critical minerals deal with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese on Tuesday (AEDT).

“I don’t like you either, and I probably never will,” Trump said. After the White House meeting he reportedly told Rudd, who approached him to apologise, that all was forgiven.

But on Saturday afternoon (AEDT), Trump seemed to suggest that it was not quite water under the bridge.

Nine newspapers journalist Michael Koziol fired another question about the issue to the president outside the White House.

“And you’ve patched things up with our Ambassador — the Australian Ambassador?” Koziol asked.

“No — I don’t know anything about him,” Trump replied.

“Did you tell him all was forgiven in the meeting?” Koziol continued.

“I think he, a long time ago, said something bad,” Trump, adding, “You know when they said bad about me, I don’t forget.”

Trump also said he was choosing a new US Ambassador to Australia and wanted to find one that Albanese liked.

“Well I’m talking to your leader — he was just here and he’s a great guy and we’re going to make sure we have somebody that he likes,” he said.

“I had one or two people. I didn’t know if they would like them. I have somebody in mind. Here’s the good news, everybody wants to be ambassador to Australia.”

Trump and Albanese are among world leaders heading to Malaysia this week for the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) summit, which starts on Sunday in Kuala Lumpur.

Trump will also travel to Japan and South Korea, where he will have a face-to-face with Chinese President Xi Jinping on Thursday.

Trump said on Sunday (AEDT) he would like China to help deal with its close ally Russia as he tries to negotiate peace in Ukraine.

“I’d like China to help us out with Russia,” the US president said on Air Force One.

-with AAP