Tensions between Donald Trump and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni escalated Tuesday after the U.S. president publicly rebuked one of his closest European allies, accusing her of lacking «courage» and failing to support Washington’s efforts against Iran.

In a phone interview with Italian daily newspaper Corriere della Sera, Trump called Meloni «unacceptable» and said he was «shocked» by her stance, according to the outlet’s English-language version.

The dispute with Trump was further fueled by Meloni’s criticism of his recent remarks targeting Pope Leo XIV, which she called «unacceptable,» prompting Trump to respond that «she is the one who is unacceptable.»

In a scathing rebuke of the Vatican’s call for Middle Eastern de-escalation, President Trump took to Truth Social to blast Pope Leo XIV. Labeling the Pontiff «WEAK on Crime» and «terrible for Foreign Policy,» Trump warned him to «focus on being a Great Pope, not a Politician.» The post, which quickly went viral, accused the first American Pope of «catering to the Radical Left» at the expense of global security. 

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In the interview to Corriere della Sera Trump also reiterated criticism of Pope Leo XIV, saying the pontiff «has no idea what’s going on in Iran» and «doesn’t understand» what is at stake.

She «isn’t giving us any help, I’m shocked by her,» Trump said about Meloni in the six-minute conversation.

He went further, accusing Meloni of relying on Washington while refusing to act.

«They depend on Donald Trump to keep it open,» he said, referring to global energy routes through the Strait of Hormuz.

The comments mark a sharp shift in tone toward Meloni, who attended Trump’s 2025 inauguration and was praised by him as «a great leader» just weeks ago.

The White House and Meloni’s office did not immediately respond.

The public rift comes as Meloni has begun distancing herself from both Washington and Jerusalem amid mounting domestic and political pressure over the widening Middle East conflict.

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U.S. President Donald Trump delivers remarks, as Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer applaud, following the official signing of the first phase of the Gaza ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas, during a world leaders’ summit on ending the Gaza war, in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt, Oct. 13, 2025. (Evelyn Hockstein/Reuters)

On Tuesday, Meloni confirmed in a statement that Italy had suspended the automatic renewal of a long-standing defense cooperation agreement with Israel, signaling a significant recalibration in ties.

«In light of the current situation, the government has decided to suspend the automatic renewal of the defence agreement with Israel,» she said, according to Reuters.

The move follows recent tensions between Rome and Jerusalem, including Israeli warning shots fired near Italian troops serving in southern Lebanon under a U.N. mandate, as well as growing Italian criticism of Israeli military operations in the region.

Israel downplayed the impact of the decision, saying the agreement was largely symbolic and «has never contained any substantive content,» Reuters reported.

In Israel, opposition leader Yair Lapid sharply criticized the government following Italy’s move.

«Italy’s decision to suspend the defense cooperation agreement with Israel is another embarrassing failure of the prime minister and the non-existent foreign minister,» Lapid wrote on X.

TRUMP SAYS HE’S CONSIDERING PULLING US OUT OF NATO OVER IRAN WAR STANCE

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni is greeted by US Chief of Protocol Monica Crowley (L) upon arrival at the White House South Portico in Washington, DC, on August 18, 2025. European leaders join Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in talks with US President Donald Trump on August 18, as they try to find a way to end Russia’s offensive. The leaders heading to Washington on Monday to appear alongside Zelensky call themselves the «coalition of the willing.» (Photo by Mandel NGAN / AFP) (Photo by MANDEL NGAN/AFP via Getty Images) (Mandel Ngan/AFP)

«Meloni is not a left-wing progressive European leader,» she added. «She belongs to the conservative right and understands the need to fight terrorism.» 

Meloni’s shift reflects what analysts describe as a broader political repositioning, as the war’s economic fallout, particularly rising energy costs, weighs heavily on Italy’s import-dependent economy and public opinion.

Italy’s Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani defended Meloni, reaffirming Italy’s alliance with the United States while emphasizing that cooperation must be grounded in «loyalty, respect and mutual frankness.»

The escalating tensions highlight growing fractures within Western alliances as the U.S.-led confrontation with Iran reverberates across Europe, forcing leaders like Meloni to balance strategic partnerships with domestic political realities.

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A ship is seen passing through the Strait of Hormuz during a two-week temporary ceasefire between the United States and Iran on April 8, 2026. (Shady Alassar/Anadolu/Getty Images)

The Israel Defense Ministry declined to comment.

Reuters contributed to this report.

One of the Democratic Party’s rising star governors, Abigail Spanberger of Virginia, is being slammed for signing a bill to award the state’s presidential electoral votes to the winner of the national popular vote.

The bill signed by Spanberger adds Virginia to the National Popular Vote Compact, an interstate agreement between states to award the entirety of their electoral votes to the winner of the national popular vote. Virginia Republicans railed against the bill, arguing it makes the state’s votes «NULL AND VOID.»

This comes as Spanberger, who was recently selected to deliver the Democrats’ response to President Donald Trump’s State of the Union, has seen her approval ratings plummet. Critics have accused her of abandoning her centrist campaign message to advance far-left policies.

Criticisms of Spanberger erupted anew after news broke that Spanberger had approved the bill. The Virginia Republican Party posted on X that «fake Moderate Spanberger just signed a bill to render Virginians’ vote for president NULL AND VOID!»

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The GOP said that under the bill, «all of Virginia’s Electoral College votes will go to the winner of the national popular vote — no matter who wins the popular vote in our Commonwealth.»

The party called the move «an unconstitutional assault on our democracy.»

However, Spanberger won praise from groups that oppose the Electoral College. Stand Up America, a progressive voting rights organization, hailed the move, with Executive Director Christina Harvey calling it «an important step forward for representative democracy.»

«Virginia has set another powerful example for other states of how to stand up for representative democracy even as they come under increasing pressure from the Trump administration,» said Harvey, adding, «The presidency should be won by the candidate who receives the most votes nationwide—not just the right combination of battleground states.»

She said, «this brings us one step closer to a system where Americans’ votes for President and Vice President count equally, no matter where they live.»

The National Popular Vote Interstate Compact operates on a conditional trigger that keeps the law dormant until it can guarantee a victory for the national popular vote winner. While member states pass the legislation individually, the compact only activates when the total electoral weight of all participating states reaches a majority of the Electoral College, at least 270 electoral votes.

With Virginia officially joining, the compact currently sits at 222 electoral votes, meaning it remains 48 votes short of the threshold.

SPANBERGER DENIES ‘DEAL’ WITH SWING-DISTRICT DEMOCRAT AS GERRYMANDERING CLAIMS ABOUND STATEWIDE

The Virginia State Capitol during the inauguration ceremony of Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger in Richmond on Jan. 17. State Democratic lawmakers have introduced more than 50 new tax or tax increases to the legislature for things like dog walking, deliveries and dry cleaning. (Kendall Warner/The Virginian-Pilot)

Until that 270-vote mark is met, the law has no effect, and member states continue to award their electors based on their own internal state results.

National Popular Vote, the organization advancing the compact, also celebrated Virginia being added, saying in a statement that the compact «will guarantee the Presidency to the candidate who receives the most popular votes in all 50 states and the District of Columbia.»

Patrick Rosenstiel, a spokesperson for National Popular Vote, told Fox News Digital he is «grateful» to Spanberger and the Virginia Legislature, saying «their support builds critical momentum for our movement to give 63 percent of American voters what they want, a national popular vote for President.»

«With Virginia’s 13 electoral votes, the National Popular Vote Compact is 48 electoral votes short of reaching the 270 required to activate it,» Rosenstiel noted, adding, «We’ll continue our state-by-state work until the candidate who wins the most popular votes is elected president and every voter is treated equally in every presidential election.»

The group noted that similar bills have been introduced in Wisconsin, Arizona, Michigan, Pennsylvania and Nevada.

Under the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact, no voter will have their vote cancelled out at the state-level because their choice differed from plurality sentiment in their state. Instead, every voter’s vote will be added directly—without distortion—into the national count for the candidate of their choice. This will ensure that every Virginia voter is relevant in presidential elections moving forward.

Spanberger has also recently been accused by former Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin of «illegal and unconstitutional» gerrymandering amid her push to redraw Virginia’s congressional maps.

Virginians will vote April 21 on Spanberger’s redistricting referendum, a move that Youngkin said would give Democrats 10 of the state’s 11 congressional seats.

Spanberger signed hundreds of bills passed by the majority-Democratic legislature on Monday. She also vetoed a few bills relating to unregulated skill-gaming machines and a proposed Fairfax County casino and sent back dozens with proposed amendments.

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Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger responds to President Donald Trump’s, unseen, State of the Union. (Steve Helber/Reuters)

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Among the bills that Spanberger signaled support for with proposed amendments was a slate of new restrictions on gun ownership, including a ban on «assault weapons,» as well as restricting law enforcement from assisting with immigration enforcement.

Fox News Digital reached out to Spanberger’s office for comment.

Israel y Líbano mantuvieron este martes en Washington su primeras conversaciones directas desde 1983, en una señal inédita de acercamiento frente a la amenaza común que representa Hezbollah en la región. Tel Aviv y Beirut han acordado iniciar negociaciones directas en una fecha y lugar acordados mutuamente, informó el Departamento de Estado en un comunicado

Al término de la reunión, el embajador israelí en Estados Unidos, Yechiel Leiter, afirmó ante la prensa que las delegaciones compartieron una visión común sobre el futuro de la región.

“Descubrimos hoy que estamos del mismo lado. Nos une el objetivo de liberar a Líbano de Hezbollah”, afirmó tras la reunión, que se extendió por más de dos horas en la sede del Departamento de Estado norteamericano.

El diplomático israelí remarcó que esta cita representa “el inicio de una batalla fuerte y consistente contra Hezbollah” y añadió: “Nunca han estado tan debilitados como ahora. Juntos seguiremos eliminando la amenaza de este agente iraní, tan dañino para la región”.

“No queremos a los franceses cerca de este proceso, ni en nada que tenga que ver con la paz en la región. Son una influencia negativa, especialmente en Líbano”, opinó el embajador israelí. El comentario se produjo luego de que el presidente francés, Emmanuel Macron, reclamara la inclusión de Líbano en el alto el fuego regional.

Durante el diálogo, Israel y Líbano abordaron la posibilidad de definir una frontera clara y estable, con la expectativa de que el futuro cruce territorial entre ambos países se limite a “negocios o turismo”.

Leiter recalcó que “la seguridad de los ciudadanos israelíes no es negociable” y que el desarme de Hezbollah es una condición esencial para cualquier avance hacia la paz.

“El gobierno libanés manifestó una fuerte voluntad de desarmar a Hezbollah. Dejan claro que ya no quieren estar ocupados por ese grupo”, puntualizó.

La reunión fue facilitada por el secretario de Estado de Estados Unidos, Marco Rubio, quien instó a las partes a aprovechar la “oportunidad histórica” que representa este acercamiento.

Rubio subrayó que el proceso enfrenta décadas de desconfianza y complejidad, pero apostó a la construcción de un marco que permita un acuerdo duradero.

“Se trata de poner fin de forma definitiva a 20 o 30 años de influencia de Hezbollah en esta parte del mundo, y no solo al daño que ha infligido a Israel, sino también al daño que ha infligido al pueblo libanés”, declaró.

El contexto de la reunión estuvo marcado por el rechazo abierto de Hezbollah, que en paralelo al inicio de las conversaciones lanzó salvas de cohetes contra trece localidades del norte de Israel.

El grupo armado, apoyado por Irán, había pedido al gobierno libanés que abandonara el proceso y boicoteara el diálogo. El presidente de Líbano, Joseph Aoun, en cambio, manifestó un día antes su esperanza de que el canal abierto en Washington sirva para lograr un alto el fuego y avanzar hacia negociaciones bilaterales directas.

En los últimos meses, la escalada militar en la frontera norte de Israel y el sur de Líbano ha dejado más de dos mil víctimas y ha provocado el desplazamiento de más de un millón de personas, además de ataques aéreos de gran magnitud sobre Beirut.

El primer ministro israelí, Benjamin Netanyahu, enfatizó recientemente que el objetivo es el desmantelamiento del arsenal de Hezbollah y la consecución de un acuerdo de paz que pueda perdurar por generaciones.

Leiter aprovechó la oportunidad para descartar el involucramiento de Francia en eventuales negociaciones futuras.

Aunque no se definió una fecha para el próximo encuentro, ambas delegaciones acordaron llevar las propuestas discutidas a sus respectivos gobiernos.

Leiter anticipó que espera que las conversaciones se reanuden en las próximas semanas, con la mira puesta en la construcción de un acuerdo que regule tanto los aspectos de seguridad como los civiles, para avanzar hacia una relación “tan armoniosa como la que Israel mantiene con los países de los Acuerdos de Abraham”.

La jornada dejó en claro que, por primera vez en décadas, Israel y Líbano exploran abiertamente la posibilidad de un acuerdo directo, con el desarme de Hezbollah como eje central de la agenda y el respaldo activo de Estados Unidos como mediador.

(Con información de AFP y EFE)