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Trump-Meloni Rift
Trump publicly lashed out at Meloni, declaring I thought she had courage, I was wrong.
“I thought she had courage, I was wrong”
He accused her of refusing to help the U.S. in the war against Iran.
Meloni called Trump's attacks on Pope Leo XIV unacceptable.
Trump responded by saying it is she who is unacceptable.
He also accused Meloni of not wanting to help with NATO and called the alliance a paper tiger.
The rift marks a dramatic reversal in relations between two leaders who had been close allies.
Meloni's Calculated Break
Meloni's shift was driven by domestic political calculations and public unease with the Iran war.
Italian voters rebuked Meloni by rejecting her constitutional reform plan.
Polls showed Italians did not support Trump's war with Iran.
Energy prices were rising due to disruptions in global supplies.
Meloni had suspended a defence co-operation deal with Israel and called for a ceasefire in Lebanon.
Despite the break, Meloni continued to describe Washington as a priority ally.
Broader European Shift
Trump's attack on Meloni was part of a broader pattern of growing distance between the American president and his European allies.
“Trump appears to be losing the backing of European allies as the Iran war escalates”
The rift came days after Trump suffered another setback when Viktor Orbán was defeated in Hungary.
Trump complained that they pay the world's highest energy costs and they're not even willing to fight for the Strait of Hormuz.
Meloni's decision to suspend the Israel defence deal marked the first time her government intervened directly to halt a bilateral agreement.