US President Donald Trump has renewed his attack on Italy and its Prime Minister, Giorgia Meloni, accusing Rome of abandoning Washington during its confrontation with Iran.
In a post on his Truth Social account, Trump said the United States had spent decades defending its allies only to be deserted when it counted. “For decades, we defend them but, when tested, they are not there to defend us, and the rest of the World. Not good!” he wrote.
He claimed that, despite the trillions of dollars the US pours into NATO, Italy had not even considered acting against what he called Iran’s grave nuclear threat.
At the centre of the row was Italy’s refusal to let American forces use its air bases during the conflict. Meloni’s government had declined to open the Sigonella base in Sicily, southern Italy, to offensive operations without the approval of parliament.
The dispute had erupted after Trump claimed Meloni “begged” him for a photograph at the Group of Seven (G7) summit in Évian-les-Bains, eastern France, on June 15-17, an account she dismissed as fabricated.
Trump’s comments also targeted Meloni on the domestic political front. “She is doing poorly in Italy with her level of popularity, possibly because she turned down the United States Of America,” he wrote in the same Truth Social post.
Meloni responded shortly afterwards: “President Trump, these constant unprovoked attacks are senseless. As for my popularity, being your friend certainly has not helped.”
According to the latest polling averages compiled by PolitPro on 21 June 2026, Brothers of Italy remains comfortably the largest party in Italy, polling at 28.1% nationally and maintaining a clear lead over the opposition and confirming its position as the dominant political force in the country.
By contrast, Donald Trump’s image among Italians is considerably less favourable. According to international opinion polling published in November 2025, only 28% of Italians held a favourable view of the US president, while 64% expressed an unfavourable opinion, making Italy one of the European countries where attitudes towards Trump remain predominantly negative.
