Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni was supposed to be Europe’s bridge to US President Donald Trump. It may be burning.
After chastising Pope Leo XIV, Trump turned his ire on Meloni, long one of his closest European allies, for calling his papal broadside “unacceptable” and not backing the US-Israel war on Iran.
“I thought she had courage,” Trump said in an interview with leading Italian daily Corriere della Sera. “I was wrong.”
Meloni has not directly responded to Trump’s attacks. But they may be to her advantage as she recovers from a decisive referendum defeat last month and as she seeks to dull the impact of the deeply unpopular Iran war, including higher energy prices.
“I actually think this is a godsend for her,” said Nathalie Tocci, a professor at Johns Hopkins SAIS Europe and the director of the International Affairs Institute. “Trump has become completely toxic across Europe, across much of the world, including Italy.”
Trump doubled down on Wednesday, saying their bond had .​Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni was supposed to be Europe’s bridge to US President Donald Trump. It may be burning.
After chastising Pope Leo XIV, Trump turned his ire on Meloni, long one of his closest European allies, for calling his papal broadside “unacceptable” and not backing the US-Israel war on Iran.
“I thought she had courage,” Trump said in an interview with leading Italian daily Corriere della Sera. “I was wrong.”
Meloni has not directly responded to Trump’s attacks. But they may be to her advantage as she recovers from a decisive referendum defeat last month and as she seeks to dull the impact of the deeply unpopular Iran war, including higher energy prices.
“I actually think this is a godsend for her,” said Nathalie Tocci, a professor at Johns Hopkins SAIS Europe and the director of the International Affairs Institute. “Trump has become completely toxic across Europe, across much of the world, including Italy.”
Trump doubled down on Wednesday, saying their bond had . ​Latest News [ SOBAN NEWS: International and National ]