The unusually sharp clash between U.S. President Donald Trump and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni escalated into a public personal dispute between two leaders who were recently seen as close allies. In a post on Truth, Trump accused Meloni of hurting U.S. efforts during the war with Iran by refusing to help Washington.
Trump wrote that Meloni had repeatedly wanted photos with him during the G7 summit in France, adding that her approval ratings in Italy were weak. He said that may be because she had refused the United States, which he described as a country that “truly loves Italy and protects it,” on preventing Iran from obtaining or developing nuclear weapons. He also said Meloni had not allowed the U.S. to use Italian runways, creating “significant logistical difficulty,” even though, he said, the United States provides “hundreds of billions of dollars a year” to defend Italy and other allies in NATO. Trump concluded: “Now, after the United States defeated Iran militarily, she wants to be our friend again to improve her support numbers. No thanks!!!”
Meloni responded quickly and unusually forcefully. In her post, she called Trump’s “ongoing and unjustified attacks” illogical. She said being his friend had certainly not helped her popularity, and that her standing did not depend on her relationship with him.
Meloni added that her popularity depends on her ability to protect Italy’s national interest, which she said she has always done, including regarding U.S. military bases in Italy. “Italy will remain a sovereign country,” she wrote, and said her popularity was none of Trump’s business. “I suggest you focus on your own,” she said.
