ToplinePresident Donald Trump lashed out at Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni in an interview with Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera, lambasting his former ally and fellow right-wing populist for failing to help the U.S. secure the Strait of Hormuz and after she called his attacks on Pope Leo “unacceptable.”President Donald Trump meets with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni at the White House in April 2025.AFP via Getty ImagesKey FactsIn the interview Trump asked whether Italians like Meloni, and said he was “shocked” by her, adding, “I thought she had courage, I was wrong.”Trump criticized Meloni for not wanting to get Italy involved in the Iran war, insisting “she thinks America should do the work for her.”Trump also repeated his criticisms of Pope Leo, the American-born head of the Catholic Church who has repeatedly condemned the U.S. government’s war in Iran, telling the newspaper, “he doesn't understand, and he shouldn't be talking about war, because he has no idea what is actually happening.”He also negatively compared Meloni to Viktor Orban, Hungary’s outgoing prime minister who was defeated in a landslide election on Sunday, calling Orban a “good man who did an excellent job on immigration” and insisting “he didn't let people come in and ruin his country the way Italy did."Crucial Quote"I find President Trump's words towards the Holy Father unacceptable,” Meloni said in a statement reported by Reuters on Monday. “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." Speaking to reporters later, Meloni reiterated her support, insisting, “I ⁠express my solidarity ​with Pope Leo, ​frankly I would not feel very comfortable in a ​society where ​religious leaders do what political ‌leaders ⁠say.” Trump responded to Meloni on Tuesday, insisting "it is she who is unacceptable, because she doesn't care if Iran acquires a nuclear weapon—and would blow Italy sky-high in two minutes if it had the chance."Key BackgroundMeloni has served as Italy’s prime minister since 2022, after her right-wing populist Brothers of Italy party swept the national elections that year. After he returned to office in 2025, Trump embraced Meloni and welcomed her to the White House last April, even while his administration was in the midst of a fight over tariffs with the rest of the European Union. At that meeting, Meloni cast herself as fighting the same culture war stressed by Trump since his 2024 presidential campaign. “We both share another fight, which is the fight against the woke and DEI ideology that would like to erase our history,” Meloni said, CNN reported at the time, later adding that her goal was to “make the West great again.”Further ReadingForbesPope Leo Says He Has ‘No Fear’ Of Trump Administration After President Attacks HimBy Siladitya RayForbesPope Leo Condemns Iran War In Strongest Terms Yet: ‘God Does Not Bless Any Conflict’By Sara DornForbesPentagon Confirms It Met With Vatican—But Denies Reports Of A Bitter Clash—Amid The Pope’s Mounting CriticismBy Conor Murray