U.S. President, Donald Trump delivered a blunt public rebuke to Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni on Tuesday, signaling a dramatic fracture in what was once a close trans-Atlantic alliance.
In an interview with the Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera, Trump expressed deep disappointment in Meloni’s recent policy shifts, particularly her refusal to support U.S. military efforts to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
"I'm shocked by her. I thought she had courage. I was wrong," Trump was quoted as saying, marking a stark departure from his previous praise for her as a "great leader."
The friction between the two leaders has intensified over the war with Iran and Meloni’s defense of the papacy. After Meloni denounced Trump’s weekend criticism of Pope Leo as "unacceptable," the President hit back with equal intensity.
"She is the one who is unacceptable, because she does not care whether Iran has a nuclear weapon and would blow Italy up in two minutes if it had the chance," Trump asserted.
He further accused Italy of wanting America "to do the job for her" while the country continues to suffer from some of the highest energy costs in the world due to the ongoing conflict.
This public falling-out carries significant political risks for Meloni, who had previously leveraged her relationship with Trump to boost her international standing. However, with 66% of Italians now holding a negative view of the U.S. leader and Meloni facing domestic challenges including a recent defeat in a referendum on judicial reform, the association is increasingly viewed as a liability.
As Italy remains heavily dependent on energy imports, Trump’s claim that they "depend on Donald Trump to keep it [the Strait] open" adds further pressure to a relationship that has transitioned from a strategic partnership to a public diplomatic feud.
