Donald Trump says Giorgia Meloni lacks courage

{"text":[[{"start":8.15,"text":"Donald Trump has slammed his erstwhile ally Giorgia Meloni over her support for Pope Leo and Rome’s refusal to allow US warplanes involved in the attack on Iran to refuel at a military base in Sicily."}],[{"start":24.740000000000002,"text":"In a telephone interview with the Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera, the US president accused the Italian premier of cowardice — even as his allies in Europe are dwindling after Hungary’s Viktor Orbán was defeated in recent elections."}],[{"start":42.32,"text":"“Your prime minister is doing nothing to get oil,” Trump told the Italian paper. “I’m shocked by her. I thought she had courage, but I was wrong.” "}],[{"start":53.45,"text":"His remarks stand in stark contrast with the praise he previously lavished on her. Just a month ago, after the Iran bombing campaign was already under way, Trump told the same newspaper that Meloni was “an excellent leader and a friend of mine”."}],[{"start":70.48,"text":"A spokesperson for Meloni’s office declined to comment."}],[{"start":74.22,"text":"Trump’s attack comes less than 24 hours after Meloni said the president’s attack on Pope Leo was “unacceptable”. Trump lashed out at the pontiff on Sunday night, saying he was “weak” and “terrible”, after the pope condemned the US leader’s threat to wipe out Iran’s civilisation."}],[{"start":94.25999999999999,"text":"When asked about Meloni’s comment, Trump told the Italian paper that “it’s her who is unacceptable”."}],[{"start":101.55,"text":"“Meloni’s reaction was in a way unavoidable,” said Lorenzo Pregliasco, co-founder and chief executive of Youtrend, a political polling agency. “Trump is politically toxic for European governments and European public opinion,” including rightwing politicians and voters, he said."}],[{"start":121.53,"text":"“What was growing within Meloni’s inner circle was the perception that appearing too close to Trump could be very detrimental in terms of public support,” he said. "}],[{"start":null,"text":"

"}],[{"start":131.87,"text":"Once an ardent admirer of Trump, Meloni sought to act as a bridge between Europe and the US. In an interview with the FT last year, she called the idea that she may be forced to choose between the US and Europe “childish” and “superficial”. "}],[{"start":149.22,"text":"But in recent months, Meloni has sought to distance herself from Trump while avoiding the presidential wrath other former allies in the US and abroad have faced."}],[{"start":160.87,"text":"When Trump threatened to seize Greenland from Nato ally Denmark, Meloni suggested it was a mere misunderstanding as he merely sought to draw attention to Arctic security. "}],[{"start":175,"text":"Meloni also refrained from openly criticising the US-Israel attack on Iran, telling Italians that she lacked the necessary intelligence to either condone or condemn Trump’s decision."}],[{"start":188.74,"text":"But the Iran war is deeply unpopular in Italy, as it has driven up energy prices and augmented economic malaise. According to a recent Ipsos poll, just 14 per cent supported Trump’s campaign."}],[{"start":204.62,"text":"Rome recently refused permission for several US warplanes headed to the Middle East to refuel at a joint military base in Sicily."}],[{"start":214.55,"text":"More recently, Meloni’s government said it would not send any warships to secure the Strait of Hormuz unless there was a full ceasefire and the mission had a UN mandate."}],[{"start":226.23000000000002,"text":"That stance infuriated Trump, who demanded that Nato nations do more to support the war."}],[{"start":233.47000000000003,"text":"“Even though Italy gets its oil from there, even though America is very important to Italy, she doesn’t think Italy should be involved,” Trump told Corriere. “She thinks America should do the work for her.” "}],[{"start":248.46000000000004,"text":"“She doesn’t want to help us with Nato, she doesn’t want to help us get rid of nuclear weapons,” he said. “It’s very different from what I thought.” "}],[{"start":258.39000000000004,"text":"Trump’s slapdown of his former ally has galvanised Italians, who have a deep dislike of the US president."}],[{"start":266.62000000000006,"text":"Opposition leader Elly Schlein told parliament that “Italy is a free and sovereign country and our constitution is clear: Italy repudiates war”. "}],[{"start":276.9100000000001,"text":"Carlo Calenda, a former industry minister, said: “Meloni had the courage to do what should have been done long ago: to say, ‘Enough with this madman’.”"}],[{"start":288.19000000000005,"text":"Foreign minister Antonio Tajani said Italians would remain “sincere advocates of western unity and steadfast allies of the United States, but this unity is built on mutual loyalty, respect and candour”."}],[{"start":304.18000000000006,"text":"“Until now, President Trump considered Giorgia Meloni a courageous person,” he wrote on social media. “He was not mistaken, because she is a woman who never shies away from speaking her mind. And regarding Pope Leo XIV, she said exactly what all of us Italian citizens think.”"}],[{"start":324.4800000000001,"text":"But former prime minister Matteo Renzi said Trump’s attack was yet another setback for Meloni after she recently lost a referendum on constitutional reform that she had called."}],[{"start":338.01000000000005,"text":"“Giorgia Meloni is being abandoned even by her own people, her mentor, and her leader,” Renzi wrote in a social media post. “Ever since the referendum, there’s been a problem every day. It will be 15 months of steady decline leading up to the elections; the collapse has only just begun.” "}],[{"start":360.2900000000001,"text":"Additional reporting by Giuliana Ricozzi"}],[{"start":370.3700000000001,"text":""}]],"url":"https://audio.ftcn.net.cn/album/a_1776266273_4538.mp3"}