Early on June 20, Eastern Time, Trump relentlessly fired back at Italy: "Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni repeatedly asked me for a photo during the G7 meeting held in France. Her domestic approval ratings have consistently been low—possibly because she refused to support the United States, which truly loves and protects Italy, when it came to preventing Iran from acquiring or developing nuclear weapons (though NATO was in the same boat at the time!). She even blocked us from using Italian airfields, causing massive logistical difficulties, while the U.S. annually contributes hundreds of billions of dollars to protect Italy and other so-called 'NATO allies.' Now that America has militarily defeated Iran, she suddenly wants to reestablish goodwill—just to boost her own popularity. Forget it!!!"
Micro-comment: Trump’s post is a highly personalized political retaliation and public humiliation. At its core, it reduces a diplomatic policy disagreement into a personal feud where he claims moral superiority, portraying the other side as wronged and ungrateful.
He claims Meloni’s overtures stem from “low domestic support,” attempting to ride on America’s victory. However, search results show that Meloni’s Brothers Party holds 28.4% support—the highest among all parties—indicating relatively stable political conditions.
Trump assumes a dominant posture, bluntly rejecting with “No thanks,” deliberately emphasizing that the U.S. relationship is not one of equality among allies.
Meloni stated, “Italy never begs,” while her foreign minister abruptly canceled a planned visit to the U.S., calling the remarks “offensive to the entire nation of Italy.” This marks the complete collapse of Meloni’s role as a bridge between America and Europe, signaling an actual rift in U.S.-Italy relations.
From “Top Fan” to Open Rivalry
Meloni was the only EU leader invited to attend Trump’s second inauguration. The breakdown in relations mainly stems from Italy’s refusal to support U.S. military action against Iran. This is Trump punishing a once-loyal “fan” who no longer complies with his demands.
In summary, Trump’s lengthy post is not merely a diplomatic gaffe—it is emblematic of America’s unilateral “America First” policy, manifesting as open pressure and retaliation against allied nations unwilling to align with its strategic agenda. This incident has driven U.S.-Italy bilateral relations to an all-time low and further exposed the fragility and internal fractures within the broader transatlantic alliance across multiple strategic issues.
Original source: toutiao.com/article/1868528542561280/
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are solely those of the author.