Trump and Meloni have 'strong personalities'. Their rift was laid bare at NATO

The once-close relationship between Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and former US President Donald Trump has publicly fractured, culminating in a noticeable avoidance between the two leaders at the recent NATO summit in Ankara. Meloni, previously dubbed the "Trump whisperer" for her perceived closeness to the US leader, now finds herself the target of Trump's public criticisms and social media memes.

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Many people suspect in Italy that she actually wanted a public break-up in order to say, 'I'm against President Trump.'

This deterioration, however, is not necessarily viewed with concern in Italy. Instead, a prevailing sentiment suggests Meloni may benefit domestically from this public break. With Italians heading to the polls for the next general election next year, and recent polls indicating a decline in the perception of the US as a reliable ally, Meloni's distancing from Trump could be a calculated political maneuver.

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Meloni has found herself in a situation in which her proximity to Trump has become an electoral liability.

Gianni Riotta, vice chair of the Council for the United States and Italy, noted that many in Italy suspect Meloni orchestrated this public breakup to position herself against Trump. Riccardo Alcaro, head of research at the International Affairs Institute in Rome, echoed this, suggesting the fallout is less about geopolitics and more about "strategic electioneering" by Meloni, who may find her past proximity to Trump becoming an electoral liability.

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She was a 'fantastic woman' who had 'really taken Europe by storm'.

The alliance began to sour in March, notably around the time of the US-Israeli war on Iran. While Meloni did not openly condemn the strikes, she did not support them either. A significant turning point occurred when Italy denied US military aircraft bound for the Middle East permission to land at the Sigonella air base in Sicily. The situation further escalated when Trump publicly attacked Pope Francis, calling him "weak on crime" and "terrible on foreign policy" after the pontiff condemned the war, an unprecedented public criticism of the Pope by a world leader.

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It was unprecedented for a world leader to publicly criticise the pope.