On the heels of the G7 in France, U.S. President Trump and Italian Prime Minister Georgia Meloni have been engaged in a geopolitical spat.
The core of the issue centers on Italy’s refusal to allow the U.S. military to conduct flight operations for the conflict against Iran from U.S. airbases in Italy. President Trump, Vice-President Vance, Secretary of State Rubio and Secretary Hegseth have all remarked on their disappointment with Italy and Spain that has led to a full review of U.S. NATO operations in Europe.
The issue became personal at the G7 when President Trump ignored Meloni’s repeated attempts to repair the friction. President Trump was no longer tolerating the two-faced approach. Actions speak louder than words.
Understanding, a very specific image sensitivity Prime Minister Meloni carries, President Trump stated, “Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni asked, over and over, for a picture with me during the G-7 meeting in France. She is doing poorly in Italy with her level of popularity, possibly because she turned down the United States of America, a Country that truly loves and protects Italy, when it came to denying Iran from obtaining or developing a Nuclear Weapon (But so did NATO, for that matter!). She wouldn’t even let us use Italy’s landing strips or runways, a great logistical inconvenience, and this despite the fact the U.S. contributes hundreds of Billions of Dollars a year to protect Italy, and other “so-called” NATO Allies. Now, after the United States defeated Iran militarily, she wants to be friends again in order to get her “numbers up.” No thanks!!! ~ President DJT
Meloni then hit back with: “these constant, unprovoked attacks are senseless. As for my popularity, being your friend certainly has not helped it, nor does it depend on my relationship with you. My popularity depends on my ability to defend Italy’s national interest, and that is exactly what I have always done,” Meloni said in a post on Instagram. She added that “in any case, my popularity is none of your concern. I suggest you focus on yours.” {source}
Check Date:
I don't trust this one.
She climbed on nationalism.
Then governed on globalism (pro EU).
Now returning to nationalism.Meloni is the Lindsey Graham of Italy. https://t.co/jz7TdRZQPi
— TheLastRefuge (@TheLastRefuge2) December 15, 2024
Georgia saw this and got jealous.
https://youtube.com/shorts/QiInRF-7Nlc?is=KEKQQwcawt_JLrZI
Game of Thrones…
I never understood why Trump would rather bicker with this obnoxious woman in the media than use actual leverage against Italy and the EU in general.
These countries have lost their way, assuming they ever found it. For the past two decades, they’ve embraced values incompatible with ours and acted openly against U.S. interests.
That’s also why I never understood why we accept the EU, an illegitimate political structure not only detrimental to U.S. national interests but built specifically for the purpose of competing with the United States and weakening the U.S. dollar’s status as the world’s reserve currency.
I never understood why Trump negotiated trade deals with the EU instead of using access to the U.S. market as leverage, playing member states against each other, destabilizing the bloc, and peeling them away one by one, rewarding good pro-American behavior.
Frankly, I don’t understand this president at all. He adopts an aggressive posture, insults everyone, and then caves, abandons leverage, or walks away from the very commitments he appeared ready to enforce.
Ray, this can be summed up in your statement “I don’t understand”. Global politics and economics are always a delicate balance, especially when America has undertaken the truly amazing and precarious change from globalism back to an America first (and other countries nationalism) policy.
You don’t understand. But he does.
Bickering is what Trump he enjoys. I stopped pretending a long time ago that his style is endearing.
Imagine a U.S. military that served to defend U.S. citizen’s interests and not be the muscle for the global “Rules-Based System” at the U..S. tax-payer’s expense.
Couldn’t agree more.
Meloni will learn, very soon, that, indeed, actions speak louder than words. President Trump has always made that his policy and he “rewards” disloyalty accordingly.
She picked the wrong bear to bait.
^^^^ This!! So simple.
but, but, but…
melo learned earlier (without saying so) the melo
-feared the illegal immigrants local reactions in ita ly
more so than loving the decades of u.s. providing handouts and defense to euro
(and ita ly was not the only ‘nato’ member that was playing games with air strips etc….is that right stam mer?)
p.s.
and yes, with ‘actions’ known,
that is some substance for upcoming nato talks ( prior verifiable actions speak louder than current words.
(and the media narratives, try 24/7/365 for decades to help people to not see the facts, the verifiable actions…) )
imho
She sounds like a petulant escapee from The Jersey Shore TV series…with a better vocabulary.
What difference does it make, it’s simply the lion vs. the insecure little tart masquerading as a political leader
No va bene…
British usage “tart”?
😉
The EU experiment is dead – 1993-2026.
FWIW, I still hold out hope for Georgia. Up to now, she’s been pretty good at not getting Liz Trussed by Ursula, sending old, beat up Italian tanks to Ukraine as a pretend contribution but really dumping her garbage on the slavs. She’s been a survivor so far, and that isn’t an easy thing.
My fantasy is that this is kabuki theatre, and that we’re still going to try to peel Italy away little by little.
She’s not looking out for Italy’s national interest by letting the barbarians in.
Great call, Sundance!