Australian minister Josh Frydenberg has been forced to apologise for calling president-elect Donald Trump a "drop kick".
During a live TV appearance in August, the environment minister described Trump as a "drop kick" whose comments were "totally offensive".
"He’s a drop kick, Tony. I mean, his comments are totally offensive, you know, his comments about women, let alone the most recent one about menstruating. And I just think it’s beyond the pale for any politician, regardless of their political hue," he said.
Drop kick is Australian slang for loser.
In October, Frydenberg backed in his colourful remarks saying he hadn't changed his views.
"I haven't seen any reason to back away from those comments," he said.
But all that changed after Trump's surprise victory.
Looking nervous and embarrassed as he stood alongside the prime minister on Thursday, Frydenberg apologised for his anti-Trump comments and admitted he should have remained neutral.
"In the lead-up to the vote, I think the prime minister and foreign minister hit the right note. I concede I probably should have followed their lead," he said.
Deputy prime minister Barnaby Joyce said Frydenberg understands what he said "was not helpful".
But Frydenberg wasn't the only minister to criticise Trump.
Defence industry minister Christopher Pyne said on election eve that he hoped Hillary Clinton would win as that would be the “best outcome for Australia”.
“She does support free trade, she does support the US being deeply engaged in the Asian region, which is critical to us. She understands America’s place in the world and we need to have a strong United States,” he told The Project.
“I don’t agree with everything Hillary Clinton says but I hope that she wins tomorrow because it’s important for our country.”
In 2015, when asked by Channel Seven's The Morning Show what he thought of the gathering speed of Trump's campaign, Pyne replied: "Well, it's terrifying."
"Now, democracy should be robust but it certainly shouldn't be violent. And I think the Donald Trump phenomenon is a real problem for the United States, making their democracy look kind of weird."