Trump Flips On Former Key European Ally: ‘It’s Her Who’s Unacceptable’

Mediaite ^ | April 14, 2026 | Alex Griffing

[Miami Rebel]

President Donald Trump flipped on his once close ally, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, on Tuesday in a phone interview with an Italian daily newspaper. Trump responded to Meloni’s recent criticism of his attack on Pope Leo XIV by accusing Meloni of being a changed person.

On Monday, Meloni called Trump’s multiple attacks on the Pope “unacceptable.”

“I find President Trump’s words toward the Holy Father unacceptable,” Meloni said in a statement. “The Pope is the head of the Catholic Church, and it is right and normal that he calls for peace and condemns every form of war.”

Meloni was responding to Trump’s broadside against the Pope, calling “WEAK on Crime, and terrible for Foreign Policy.” The Pope has been a fierce critic of the war in Iran has used recent public appearances to call for peace.

“And I don’t want a Pope who criticizes the President of the United States because I’m doing exactly what I was elected, IN A LANDSLIDE, to do, setting Record Low Numbers in Crime, and creating the Greatest Stock Market in History,” Trump also said of the Pope.

Following Meloni’s defense of the Pope, Trump turned his ire on her. Trump called his former ally “unacceptable,” repeating her words, and fumed that she is “no longer the same person.”

Trump made the comments to the Italian daily Corriere della Sera, adding he was “shocked by her. I thought she was brave, but I was wrong.”

“It’s her who’s unacceptable, because she doesn’t care if Iran has a nuclear weapon and would blow up Italy in two minutes if it had the chance,” Trump added, repeating some of his attack on the Pope as well.

Meloni, a right-leaning populist in her own right, had begun distancing herself from Trump in recent weeks amid political setbacks domestically, which were linked in part to Trump’s rock-bottom approval in Italy.

“When we don’t agree, we must say it. And this time, we do not agree,” Meloni said earlier in the month, when pressed on the Iran war. Meloni had previously positioned herself as a link between Trump and the rest of the EU, especially when it came to combating Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and promoting a harder-line immigration policy.

[PeterPrinciple]

But the guy does have issues with knowing when to STFU.

---

That is his strong point and weak point. We all have them. His boldness has served him and US well!

[crz]

He needs to shut his mouth.
We have several major military bases in Italy and scores of minor ones.
They tell us to GTFO and that puts a serious hurt on the Mediterranean coverage. Effects that whole region.

President meglomaniac lets his mouth run over his brains again.

[Manuel OKelley]

Are you serious? The younger male demographic is running from him as fast as they can

[xone]

It will support the pullout from NATO @ a later date. Exceptional work.

[Texas Eagle]

Meh. I forgive him.

[delchiante]

Donald J. Trump

@realDonaldTrump

Pope Leo is WEAK on Crime, and terrible for Foreign Policy. He talks about “fear” of the Trump Administration, but doesn’t mention the FEAR that the Catholic Church, and all other Christian Organizations, had during COVID when they were arresting priests, ministers, and everybody else, for holding Church Services, even when going outside, and being ten and even twenty feet apart. I like his brother Louis much better than I like him, because Louis is all MAGA. He gets it, and Leo doesn’t! I don’t want a Pope who thinks it’s OK for Iran to have a Nuclear Weapon. I don’t want a Pope who thinks it’s terrible that America attacked Venezuela, a Country that was sending massive amounts of Drugs into the United States and, even worse, emptying their prisons, including murderers, drug dealers, and killers, into our Country. And I don’t want a Pope who criticizes the President of the United States because I’m doing exactly what I was elected, IN A LANDSLIDE, to do, setting Record Low Numbers in Crime, and creating the Greatest Stock Market in History. Leo should be thankful because, as everyone knows, he was a shocking surprise. He wasn’t on any list to be Pope, and was only put there by the Church because he was an American, and they thought that would be the best way to deal with President Donald J. Trump. If I wasn’t in the White House, Leo wouldn’t be in the Vatican. Unfortunately, Leo’s Weak on Crime, Weak on Nuclear Weapons, does not sit well with me, nor does the fact that he meets with Obama Sympathizers like David Axelrod, a LOSER from the Left, who is one of those who wanted churchgoers and clerics to be arrested. Leo should get his act together as Pope, use Common Sense, stop catering to the Radical Left, and focus on being a Great Pope, not a Politician. It’s hurting him very badly and, more importantly, it’s hurting the Catholic Church! President DONALD J. TRUMP
....

If it was in the days of SwampGovt influenced and oversight of Twitter, we wouldn’t get to read these posts.

But because of your Swamp Govt, its Twitter collective FAFO, we not only get him as President and Commander in Chief again , but his own social media public square, so no govt or force can shut him up..

Including some foreign head of state who wears silly outfits

[BookmanTheJanitor]

Yep - that’s what my son is hearing from his friends. He’s still behind Trump, but his friends and classmates are bailing due to the war and affordability issues.

[crz]

So what your saying is your anti catholic.

Past popes have ALWAYS, save for a couple, basically preached peace and forgiveness.

The leader of Italy is Catholic. As are about just over 1 billion worldwide. Majority of Catholics here, voted for president meglomaniac last election.

He has now managed to insult that majority except for the cultists on here.

If Italy kicks our asses out of there, it presents a real problem for not only us, but Israel..not that i care about them.

Aside from that, a good many of people in Cyprus and Crete are Orthodox which often indentify with Catholics now and again.
So, chief meglomaniac needs to STFU, and just sit there and not do nothing. Let his cabinet do the work since he is incapable.

[Biblebelter]

Why would Europeans or we Americans need his assessment?

We don't need it anymore than we needed this assessment of acceptability

“I find President Trump’s remarks about the Holy Father unacceptable,” Meloni said in a statement.

[mass55th]

"If you can point out the advantage to be gained in him responding to her, please share."

Because President Trump isn't a pussy. I'm sick and tired of people like her immediately running to the press and yapping their gums. If she had a problem with what he said, as the leader of her country, she should have been courteous, and considerate enough, to call the President up personally, and complain to him, before bloviating to the press. If she didn't get any satisfaction from a call, by all means then run to the press, but make it be known you were courteous enough to call him first about his comment before spewing to the media. Assholes like her immediately run to the media to get their next 15 minutes of fame. I said the same thing about Riley Gaines on another thread posted today.

[mass55th]

"I love Donald Trump but he needs to learn how to keep his mouth closed sometimes."

That will never happen. He's not a phony and won't pretend to be one. I didn't vote for him because I wanted him to be liked. I voted for the man three times because he doesn't hold back, doesn't mince his words, and isn't a pussy when it comes to defending himself. George W. Bush sat in the corner like a scolded puppy whenever the RATS and the media attacked him or anyone in his Administration. He never defended himself on anything. The one time he used the term "Crusade" after 9/11, he was torn apart in the press, and never used the word again. I'll take a fighter any time...someone who doesn't care what others think of him, someone who doesn't roll over or kowtow to pressure or criticism from people who are not his betters.

[nathanbedford]

We don’t have any allies in Western Europe.

Where do we have allies? Apart from Israel I cannot think of a single nation that should be firmly in our camp that Trump has not insulted including recently Japan, Korea and Australia.

Rather than the cause for lack of allies in Western Europe being a matter of geography, or something wrong with the water there, perhaps it is because Trump has rebuffed every friendly overture.

The man cannot even get along with Canada, with whom we've been friends for two centuries. Indeed, he has succeeded in driving them into the arms of China!

The world has 7 billion people and Israel has 4 million. As valuable an ally as Israel undoubtedly is, there are hardly enough of them.

It seems that every second thread in this forum must be devoted to making excuses for the president's Tourette's syndrome.

We are rushing headlong into a lonely and naked isolationism, spurred on by an entirely unearned arrogance.

[Miami Rebel]

“Because President Trump isn’t a pussy.”

So what? It doesn’t take guts to lash out at every slight.

I asked what advantage his response provided and your long-ish answer didn’t really address the question. Whether she was courteous or discourteous is immaterial: slapping back at her was mere personal petulance.

[Mozzafiato]

Yep - that’s what my son is hearing from his friends. He’s still behind Trump, but his friends and classmates are bailing due to the war and affordability issues.

Young males are one of the biggest groups that surged towards Trump in the 2024 election. But, you're right, they have soured since getting involved in Iran. Those young males are very much against Israel's influence in USA affairs...you can see it in the chatter online. Trump risks a big schism among the narrow Republican support if he doesn't wrap up this Iran action successfully. I feel it can have a great outcome for the world, if finished correctly, but the natives are restless.

[delchiante]

I’m Anti Vatican and against foreign heads of state thinking they’re some power and principality that has a say in America’s domestic and foreign policy ..

No different than if a mullah wanted to get mouthy..

Your Pope can stfu

[mass55th]

"I asked what advantage his response provided and your long-ish answer didn’t really address the question."

You missed the point, and that was that a large majority of people that voted for President Trump three times, voted for him because he isn't what the likes of you want him to be. If you don't like what he says or does, then next time, vote for a George W. Bush or Mitt Romney. You'll end up with shit, but at least they won't offend anyone.

[voicereason]

That is his strong point and weak point. We all have them. His boldness has served him and US well!

Oh, we definitely all have them. But I think that Trump could accomplish so much more if he just had better self control. There's a time and a place for a solid beatdown of one's enemies, but just disagreeing with the man shouldn't rise to that level.

[rollo tomasi]

Meloni supports Leo stance so she is would probably egg him on further. Also, Iran and a lot of European elites have a "pay-to-play" relationship for decades and would rather not risk rocking the boat of whatever entity comes out when this conflict is over.

From a historical point, ever since the Kingdom of Italy's unification in the later 2/3rds of the 19thcentury, the relationship between the Italian State and the Vatican was that of cohabitation. RCC is a global entity, not a local yokel city-State/enclave located in Rome. The Pope has a vast/perpetual amount of leverage over any PM of Italy or any world leader at that.

[ohioman]

Believing A pearl clutcher like you voted for Trump 3 times is the biggest load of BS I have heard all day.