“I thought she was brave, but I was wrong.” Trump criticized Italian Prime Minister Meloni for standing up for the Pope

The US President Donald Trump has criticized Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni for her stance on the war in Iran and said he was "wrong" about her.

Trump said this in an interview with the Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera.

Meloni, whom the US president considered one of his allies in Europe, called Trumpʼs words about Pope Leo XIV "unacceptable" — he called the pontiff "weak on crime and terrible on foreign policy" for condemning the war in Iran and calling for peace talks.

The US president added that Leo led the church “just because he’s American and they thought it was the best way to interact with President Donald Trump”. He then posted an AI-generated photo of himself as Jesus healing the sick, but deleted it after criticism.

Now Trump is also criticizing the Italian prime minister, who refused to join the US and Israeli operation against Iran.

"Sheʼs unacceptable because she doesnʼt care if Iran has nuclear weapons, and she would destroy Italy in two minutes if she had the chance. [...] Iʼm shocked by her. I thought she was brave, but I was wrong," the US president said.

He reiterated that Europe is "destroying itself from within" with its immigration and energy policies.

"They pay the highest prices for energy in the world and are not even willing to fight for the Strait of Hormuz, where they get it. They are counting on Donald Trump," the US president said.

Trump also commented on Viktor Orbánʼs defeat in the parliamentary elections in Hungary. When asked if he was disappointed, Trump replied: "It wasnʼt my election, but he was my friend, a good man, he did a good job on immigration. He didnʼt let people come in and destroy his country like they did in Italy.”

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