Meloni under pressure after Trump’s sharp attack on Italy and the Pope
meloni is back at the center of a political storm after Donald Trump used an exclusive telephone conversation to criticize the Italian prime minister, question Italy’s position on the war, and attack Pope Leo over his appeal for peace. The exchange, published from New York, put meloni in the middle of a transatlantic clash over Ukraine, Iran, and immigration. In her first response, she said she had been clearer than many other leaders and then chose not to reply further.
Trump’s criticism lands directly on Meloni
Trump said he was “shocked” by Meloni and claimed he thought she had courage but was mistaken. He argued that Italy “does not want to be involved” and repeated that she would not help the United States “sbarazzarci dell’arma nucleare, ” linking the dispute to wider NATO and security questions. He also told the interviewer that Meloni was not willing to help the United States in the war and suggested that Italy expected Washington to do the work instead.
The remarks were not limited to Meloni. Trump also revived his broader criticism of Europe, saying the continent is “destroying itself from within” through immigration and energy policy. He said European countries pay some of the highest energy costs in the world while depending on the United States to keep the Strait of Hormuz open. In the same exchange, he said NATO was a “tiger of paper” and claimed he had asked for support, but European partners did not want to send it.
Meloni response and political fallout
Meloni’s reply was brief. She said she had been “more clear than many other leaders, ” and then declined to engage further. That silence added weight to a confrontation that is already drawing in Italian political voices. The issue is not just personal: it touches Italy’s role in Western strategy, the balance between solidarity and independence, and the government’s position on conflicts far beyond Rome.
Marco Travaglio, director of Il Fatto Quotidiano, used his television appearance to sharpen the domestic argument around meloni. He said foreign interference in Italian politics should always be condemned, not only when it is convenient, and argued that allies should stand upright, not lie down. He also said Italy had acted like “camerieri degli americani, ” a phrase that underlines how polarized the debate has become after Trump’s comments.
What Trump said about the Pope
Trump also attacked Pope Leo after the pontiff’s appeal for peace. He said the Pope did not understand the Iranian threat, should not speak about war, and had “no idea” what was happening. In the same line of argument, he said Iran had killed 42, 000 protesters last month and warned that the country could strike Italy “in two minutes” if it had the chance. Those comments widened the dispute from diplomacy into a moral and religious confrontation.
The exchange comes at a moment when Meloni is already managing competing pressures over foreign policy. Trump’s remarks place her between Washington’s demands, European caution, and a domestic debate that is becoming more aggressive by the hour.
What happens next for Meloni
For now, the immediate next step is political containment. Meloni has not escalated the exchange, but Trump’s language ensures the story will remain central in Italy’s public debate. Any future response from the government will be watched for signs of whether Rome intends to soften, clarify, or deepen its line on the war, NATO, and relations with Washington. For meloni, the test now is whether silence holds or whether the pressure forces a fuller answer.
