US President Donald Trump attacked Pope Leo XIV - this created a serious internal political conflict for him. At the same time, in Italy, the country's Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni defended the head of the Roman Catholic Church. She called the US president's attacks on the pope unacceptable. This angered Donald Trump, who has always treated her positively. "She's the one who's unacceptable because she doesn't care if Iran has nuclear weapons and would blow up Italy in two minutes if she had the chance".
Trump accused Pope Leo XIV of being "terrible" in foreign policy after he called for an end to all wars. The Pope later said he did not want to enter into a dispute with the Trump administration, but his position remains unchanged.
"Shocking" by Meloni
The US president gave an interview to the Italian newspaper "Corriere della Sera", in which he expressed his disappointment with the Italian leader. "I am shocked by her. I thought she was brave. I was wrong," he said. Trump accused Meloni of not helping at all with the oil supply, which he said was unlikely to please the Italians.
Trump has repeatedly criticized the US's international partners for not taking an active role in the war against Iran. Giorgia Meloni refused to allow Italy to join the military operation from the very beginning. Italy also refused to allow American fighter jets to use its military base in Sicily.
Good relations with Trump so far
The Italian prime minister was considered one of the European leaders who maintains the best relations with the US president. She has repeatedly tried to play the role of mediator between the Trump administration and Washington's other partners in the European Union. The US president has previously called her "incredible" and "a very successful politician". She was the only European leader to attend his inauguration in January 2025, and according to Vice President J.D. Vance, she played the role of "bridge" between Europe and the US during the tariff negotiations.
This week's rift deals a serious public blow to her relations with the US, but it could prove to be of domestic political benefit. After the defeat in the referendum that Meloni initiated in Italy, which her allies blame on her close relationship with Trump, she has increasingly distanced herself from the American leader, which has also led to her condemnation of Trump’s attack on the Pope. These moves represented a measured political risk, as her friendship with Trump has become an increasing political burden amid the energy crisis caused by the war in the Middle East. Surveys in March showed that six in ten Italians are against the US-Israeli war in Iran, and nine in ten are very or quite concerned about the impact of the war on energy prices.