‘Not the Same Person Anymore’ – Trump Hits Back After Itay’s Meloni Defended Pope

In an interview with Italian media, US President Donald Trump lashed out at the Italian prime minister in a rare criticism following the latter’s defense of the Pope against Trump’s earlier remarks. Make us preferred on Google Share Facebook X (Twitter) LinkedIn Bluesky Email Copy Copied Photo Collage US President Donald Trump on April 1, 2026 (Photo by Alex Brandon / POOL / AFP) Pope Leo XIV’s on Jan. 28, 2026. (Photo by Filippo MONTEFORTE / AFP) Italy’s Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni on Feb. 5, 2026. (Photo by Filippo MONTEFORTE / AFP) Content Share Facebook X (Twitter) LinkedIn Bluesky Email Copy Copied Flip Make us preferred on Google US President Donald Trump criticized Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni on Tuesday after she defended Pope Leo XIV in response to Trump’s earlier remarks. “Do people like her? I can’t imagine. I’m shocked by her. I thought she was brave, but I was wrong,” Trump said in an interview with Italian outlet Corriere Della Sera . Follow our coverage of the war on the @Kyivpost_official . The criticism, delivered over a brief six-minute phone call, marks a rift between Trump and Meloni, with Meloni previously seen as a potential bridge between Europe and Trump’s administration. Meloni spoke in defense of Pope Leo XIV on Monday, calling it “unacceptable” after Trump called the pontiff “very weak on crime and other things” in an extensive social post slamming the religious leader for not siding with him on the Iran war and instead calling for peace. “The Pope is the head of the Catholic Church, and it is right and normal for him to call for peace and to condemn every form of war,” Meloni said in a statement. In response, Trump told Corriere Della Sera that Meloni is the one who’s unacceptable, as he accused her of letting Iran obtain nuclear weapons – an argument he used to launch the war against Iran – by not helping the US. “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 [Iran] had the chance,” he said. Trump also doubled down on his criticism of the Pope, saying “he has no idea what’s going on.” Other Topics of Interest Vatican Should ‘Stick to Matters of Morality,’ US VP Vance Says The vice president’s remarks widened the rift between Pope Leo XIV and Donald Trump after the pontiff defended his calls for peace. “He doesn’t understand and shouldn’t be talking about war, because he has no idea what’s going on. He doesn’t understand that 42,000 protesters were killed in Iran last month,” Trump said. During the call, Trump centered his criticism on Meloni over Italy’s lack of support for the US over Iran. “Do Italians like the fact that your prime minister isn’t giving us any help to get oil?” Trump asked the outlet. When asked if he approached Meloni on the topic, Trump said he did not. “No. She simply says Italy doesn’t want to get involved. Even though Italy gets its oil from there, even though America is very important to Italy, she doesn’t think Italy should be involved. She thinks America should do the work,” Trump said. Trump was then asked if he communicated with Meloni directly, to which he said no. “No, we haven’t spoken in a long time… Because she doesn’t want to help us with NATO, she doesn’t want to help us get rid of nuclear weapons. It’s very different from what I thought,” he said. Trump then reiterated his remarks on NATO being a “paper tiger,” saying Europe has refused his requests to send minesweepers to help reopen the Strait of Hormuz. “I asked them to send whatever they want, but they don’t want to because NATO is a paper tiger,” he said. “They pay the highest energy costs in the world and aren’t even prepared to fight for the Strait of Hormuz, where they get it. They’re depending on Donald Trump to keep it open,” he added. Europe has been eyeing options to help reopen the strait – a key logistics and oil transit route under Iranian blockade following the US-Israeli war on Iran – likely without the US involvement, according to earlier statements by British Prime Minister Keir Starmer. Trump also slammed Europe’s migration policy and accused Italy of liberal migration policies despite Meloni’s migration crackdowns . “She’s no longer the same person, and Italy will never be the same country again. Immigration is killing Italy and all of Europe,” Trump said. Trump also tied Italy’s migration policy to Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban’s defeat in the weekend’s elections when asked about his views. “He was a friend of mine. It wasn’t my election, but he was my friend, a good man. He did a good job on immigration. He didn’t let people come and ruin his country like Italy did,” Trump said. Trump had publicly endorsed the outgoing Hungarian leader on multiple occasions and sent US Vice President JD Vance to campaign for Orban in Hungary days ahead of the elections. Leo Chiu is a journalist and editor based in Eastern Europe since 2015. He has witnessed two presidential elections in Belarus and traveled widely to conflict zones and contested regions, producing reporting that bridges the gap between major developments and local realities.