Kevin Rudd said a lot of Donald Trump’s language evokes isolation. Picture: Supplied

“It never serves Australia’s alliance interests with the United States well to simply become a doormat,” Rudd said speaking on ABC’s Lateline.

“I think it’s important to carve out the space now where we wish to be not just heard, not just consulted but our views taken seriously into account.”

Rudd also dished out another piece of advice to Turnbull, urging to him to write a long handwritten letter to Trump.

Kevin Rudd said Malcolm Turnbull should write a long, handwritten letter to Donald Trump. Picture: Stefan Postles/Getty ImagesSource:Getty Images

“There’s a reason for that, to explain what specific areas, major policy challenges, do we wish to be in close dialogue with him so that he begins to develop patterns of consultation with his

closer allies.”

On the differences between President Barack Obama, who was elected during Rudd’s reign as PM, and Trump he said the two were “chalk and cheese”.

Rudd also warned about the dangerous language Trump has been sprouting during the course of the US election.

“Trump evokes so much of the language of what used to be called the America first movement of the pre-World War II movement and that had a lot of isolationism associated with it. There’s a strand of that very much in Mr Trump’s base.”

When asked by host Matt Wordsworth what he thought about Trump wanting to get tough on China Rudd was clear in that he hoped Turnbull could persuade him to think otherwise.

“Plainly he seeks to use economic leverage with the Chinese and plainly he believes current trading arrangements are unfair but you are right to point out what then happens once you start engaging in one form or another of a trade war,” Rudd said.

“What happens in a trade war is that nobody wins and everyone loses.

“I hope common sense prevails and that’s where again the Australian government can intelligently engage President-elect Trump.”