Donald Trump has publicly retracted his previous praise for Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, stating he “was wrong” about her and now considers her “unacceptable.” This surprising critique comes amidst a growing divide between Trump and Meloni, who was once seen as one of his strongest allies in Europe.
The tension escalated after Meloni showed support for Pope Leo XIV in the wake of a dispute with the US president regarding the ongoing conflict in Iran. Additionally, she recently halted a military agreement with Israel and denied access to US aircraft at a Sicilian air base.
In an interview with the Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera, Trump expressed his disappointment, saying, “I thought she was brave; I was wrong.” His comments were made on Tuesday, coinciding with Italy’s suspension of a defense cooperation deal with Israel, which has been in place since 2006, established under former Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi.
According to Meloni, the decision to suspend the agreement was influenced by recent events where Israeli troops fired upon Italian personnel serving with the UN in Lebanon. She stated, “When there are things we don’t agree with, we act accordingly.”
Furthermore, Meloni has publicly aligned herself with Pope Leo XIV’s anti-war statements, stressing her discomfort with religious figures acting under political influence. “I express my solidarity with Pope Leo; frankly, I would not feel very comfortable in a society where religious leaders do what political leaders say,” she remarked.
These actions, which include Italy refusing US planes landing at its airbase, have strained Meloni’s relationship with Trump, who expressed his shock at her stance. “She doesn’t care if Iran has a nuclear weapon and would let it blow Italy to smithereens in two minutes if it could,” he claimed.
Trump’s remarks also suggest a growing frustration with his European allies, highlighting Meloni’s reluctance to assist with NATO matters and her lack of support for his military strategies regarding Iran. “Meloni doesn’t want to help us with NATO; she doesn’t want to help us get rid of the nuclear weapon. She’s very different from what I thought,” he added.
Historically, Meloni has been viewed as an ideological partner for Trump, who has previously lauded her leadership. However, recent polling indicates that Trump’s popularity has plummeted among Italian voters, and his association with her might have influenced her recent electoral losses, including a referendum on judicial reform.
The conflict in Iran has further exacerbated energy costs in Italy, a nation that relies heavily on oil and gas imports. Trump’s criticisms of Meloni come on the heels of his own controversies, including labeling the pope as “WEAK on crime” and sharing an AI-generated depiction of himself in a Jesus-like portrayal, which faced backlash from both Catholic and Evangelical communities.
Amid these challenges, Pope Leo XIV reaffirmed his commitment to promoting peace, unperturbed by Trump’s administration. This fallout with both Meloni and the pope coincides with Trump’s announcement that “an entire civilization will die tonight” if a deal with Iran is not reached.
In another blow to Trump, his ally, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, suffered a significant defeat in a recent parliamentary election, marking the end of his 16-year tenure.
