Meloni had been a supporter of Trump, but has criticised his decision to go to war with Iran and denounced his weekend criticism of Pope Leo
2-MIN READ2-MIN1 ListenReutersPublished: 11:10pm, 14 Apr 2026US President Donald Trump told an Italian newspaper on Tuesday he was “shocked” by Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and had expected her to be more courageous, delivering a blunt public rebuke to one of his closest European allies.
Meloni had been a vociferous supporter of Trump, but she has criticised his decision to go to war with Iran, and on Monday, denounced his weekend criticism of Pope Leo as “unacceptable”.
Trump responded in an interview with Corriere della Sera, saying Meloni was “very different from what I thought” and denouncing her for refusing to help reopen the Strait of Hormuz, which has been blocked by Iran.
“I’m shocked by her. I thought she had courage. I was wrong,” he is quoted as saying in the Italian-language article posted online.
The White House declined to comment on the reported quotes. Meloni’s office also declined to comment.
The criticism marks a dramatic change in tone towards Meloni, who was the only European leader to attend the president’s inauguration in 2025.
