politics

Trump breaks with Meloni after her criticism of his attacks on the pope

In a six minute phone interview with Corriere della Sera, Donald Trump called Italian prime minister Giorgia Meloni "unacceptable" after she rebuked his attacks on Pope Leo XIV and urged Italy to do more on Iran, NATO and energy security.

Apr 14th 2026 · Italy

Insights

  • Trump told Corriere della Sera he was surprised by Giorgia Meloni and called her "unacceptable" after she criticized his attacks on Pope Leo XIV.
  • He accused Meloni of not wanting to help NATO or act against Iran's nuclear program.
  • He said the pope should not speak about war and repeated his claim that Iran killed 42,000 protesters last month.
  • Trump said he and Meloni have not spoken for a long time.
  • He said he asked Italy to send minesweepers and other support but received no backing.
  • He blamed immigration and European energy policies for weakening Italy and Europe and called NATO a "paper tiger".

Sources