Trump feuds with Meloni and faces Israeli criticism over Iran deal
Vance in Switzerland leads Iran talks
Representative Mike Lawler, RY, joined the ‘Sunday Briefing’ with Vice President J.D. Vance in Switzerland to discuss warnings of aggressive military action against Iran if nuclear negotiations fail to conclude in good faith.
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Donald Trump had a falling out with the Italian prime minister.
In fact, as you may have heard, the entire country is angry at the president.
Giorgia Meloni fired back, accusing Trump of making up a story about her.
Trump said: “He begged me to take a picture with him. He wanted to take a picture with me so bad. I wouldn’t have taken it, but I felt bad for him.”
TRUMP SAID MELONI ‘WANTED TO BE FRIENDS AGAIN’ AFTER ITALY REFUSED TO HELP US IN THE IRAN WAR
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni attends the annual press conference in Rome on January 9, 2026. (Antonio Masiello/Getty Images)
“Donald Trump’s statements are completely fabricated,” the allied prime minister said. “Frankly, I am surprised. I don’t know why the US president behaves like this towards his allies; and this is not the first time…
“There’s one thing he must remember: Neither I nor Italy ever begs.”
The move, which prompted Italy’s foreign minister to cancel a planned visit to the United States, underscores how Trump’s policies at home and abroad are driven by personal relationships.
TRUMP FIGHTS HIS CLOSE ALLY MELONI, SAYS HE FAILED US ON IRAN
What we might consider a harmless embellishment managed to insult an entire country and alienate one of the few European leaders who support the United States.
While Trump’s memorandum of understanding with Iran has been harshly criticized by Republicans as well as Democrats for making too many concessions, he is also drawing criticism from another ally.
Israel’s leading newspaper, owned by billionaire donor Miriam Adelson, condemned the president.
TRUMP DEFENDS WAR DEAL FOR MARATHON PRESSURE, USING SEMANTIC TO EXPLAIN WHY IRAN RECEIVED $300 BILLION
Headline: “You could have been the best president, but you failed.”
Miriam Adelson, the widow of billionaire casino magnate Sheldon Adelson, has become a supporter of President Donald Trump. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
Danny Zaken wrote in Israel Hayom that Trump “may forever be remembered as the president who caused America’s humiliation.”
He added: “You made a huge mistake. You failed by signing a surrender agreement with a murderous and cruel terrorist regime…
ANALYST: ISRAEL FEARS THAT TRUMP IS TIRED OF ‘HIGHLY SUSPICIOUS’ NETANYAHU AND MAY ‘TURN TURN’ ON THE IRAN DEAL: ANALYSIS
“We feel betrayed, nothing less, because your heart, with all your flaws, seemed to be in the right place.”
Adelson, an Israeli-American doctor, is the widow of casino magnate Sheldon Adelson. Trump awarded him the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2018 and he has donated large sums to pro-Trump groups and campaigns.
Trump was angry at Bibi Netanyahu for continuing to launch attacks on Lebanon, and he made sure everyone knew it by joining JD Vance in publicly berating Israel. Netanyahu’s continued attacks on Iran-backed Hezbollah in Lebanon led the mullahs to cancel a deal planned to be signed with the vice president in Switzerland on Friday.
AFTER THE MEETING WITH ZELENSKYY, CONSERVATIVES GATHERED AROUND TRUMP. OUTPUT: ‘DEFINITELY DUMBA–‘
Perhaps the most dramatic, live-action confrontation with another foreign leader occurred last year, when Trump evicted Volodymyr Zelenskyy, canceled their planned lunch, and kicked him out of the White House. Zelenskyy, who Vance also tutored, didn’t help matters by taking the bait and responding petulantly.
The president thereafter became more resistant to aiding Ukraine in the war against the invading Russians, although his strong relationship with Vladimir Putin was also likely an important factor. Trump and Zelenskyy have since repaired their relationship and met at the G-7 summit in France.
Conversely, luring the president can also be effective. When Zohran Mamdani ran for mayor of New York, Trump constantly attacked her and threatened to cut federal funds and deploy federal troops if the Muslim socialist was elected.
DAVID MARCUS: MR. MAMDANI GOES TO WASHINGTON BETWEEN ROCK AND HARD PLACE
He called Mamdani a “communist lunatic” who hated the police and Jewish people, adding that “we will not destroy one of our great cities… We will clean up the crime in about 30 days.”
New York mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani attends the 2025 New York City Pride Parade on June 29, 2025 in New York City. (Noam Galai/Getty Images)
But when Mamdani arrived at the White House after the election, his tone was strikingly positive.
“I met a very rational man. I met a man who wanted to see New York be great again, really wanted to see it,” Trump said. “I’ll be cheering for him.”
MAMDANI, PRESIDENT TRUMP SENDS AT LEAST TWO TEXTS A WEEK – LIKE BROMANCE FLOWERS ARE NOT: SOURCES
The President added:
“We agree on a lot more than I think I want him to do a great job, and we’re going to help him do a great job.”
Mamdani, who had previously called Trump “fascist” and “despot”, also praised their meeting.
TOP STATES WHO HAVE PUBLIC TRASH TALK WITH TRUMP BECOME SURPRISINGLY FRIENDLY IN PRIVATE MEETINGS
At the second meeting, the mayor pitched the president for a massive housing project in Queens, where Trump grew up and which Mamdani represented as a councilman.
Mamdani gave Trump a fake New York Daily News front page depicting the president as a champion builder who could make a lasting difference in New York.
They have since clashed over various issues but have been quietly texting each other.
According to Trump, there is no line between politics and personality. He has vowed to use military force if necessary to seize Greenland, an autonomous Danish territory, while threatening to impose a 10% tariff on goods from Denmark and seven other European countries that oppose the effort. This was partly a result of the Danish prime minister insisting that he would not be blackmailed.
When it comes to the tiff between Trump and Giorgia Meloni, both sides stepped up their rhetoric over the weekend: The president shared:
“He wouldn’t even let us use Italy’s landing pads or runways, it was a huge logistical inconvenience and this despite the fact that the US contributes hundreds of Billions of Dollars a year to protect Italy and other ‘so-called’ NATO Allies. Now, after the US defeated Iran militarily, they want to be friends again to increase their ‘numbers’. No thanks!!!”
THATCHER’S FORMER ADVISER TRUMP SAYS EUROPE’S BETRAYAL TO IRAN ‘THE RIGHT TO BE ANGER’
Meloni called the president’s attacks “meaningless” and said: “As for my popularity, being your friend certainly didn’t help that, and it doesn’t depend on my relationship with you either… I suggest you focus on yours.”
It’s like a schoolyard fight where both brawlers want the last word.
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Of course, all policies shape relationships to some degree. When a candidate is looking to win endorsements or a lawmaker is trying to woo colleagues on a bill, a stand-back approach certainly helps.
But that’s the driving force of Donald Trump’s way of doing business, and those who anger or annoy him quickly learn that there are negative consequences.
