Rubio meets Meloni as Trump–Pope clash clash escalates US strains with key European ally
Secretary of State Marco Rubio is expected to meet Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni Thursday in Rome amid diplomatic tensions with both Italy and the Vatican.The meeting comes one day...
By Fox News · Fox News
Secretary of State Marco Rubio is expected to meet Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni Thursday in Rome amid diplomatic tensions with both Italy and the Vatican. The meeting comes one day after Rubio, a practicing Catholic, held talks at the Vatican with Pope Leo and senior church officials in what many observers viewed as an effort to calm relations after weeks of escalating rhetoric between President Donald Trump and the Holy See. For much of Trump’s second term, Meloni was widely viewed as Trump’s closest ideological ally among major European leaders. But that relationship has begun to fray amid disputes over the Iran war. That political partnership, however, has come under strain in recent months, as Trump’s escalating clash with Pope Leo XIV collided with separate tensions over Italy’s limits on using its territory for U.S. combat-linked operations tied to the Iran war. RUBIO TO VISIT ITALY, VATICAN AMID TROOP DRAWDOWN CALL, TENSION WITH TRUMP, POPE LEO: REPORTS Asked April 30 whether he’d consider pulling troops out of Italy and Spain, Trump said, "Yeah, probably. ... Why shouldn't I?" "Italy has not been of any help to us," the president said. The Italian prime minister built a strong rapport with Trump through their shared positions on immigration, nationalism, border security and opposition to progressive cultural politics. Meloni was the only European leader to attend Trump’s second inauguration in January 2025, and she also visited Trump at Mar-a-Lago as she sought to position herself as a key intermediary between Washington and Europe. TRUMP MEETS WITH ITALIAN PM GIORGIA MELONI AT HIS MAR-A-LAGO RESORT The relationship often appeared notably warm in public. During a 2025 Middle East summit in Egypt, Trump publicly praised Meloni as "a beautiful young woman" and joked, "You don’t mind being called beautiful, right?" before describing her as an "incredible leader" respected throughout Italy. Trump and Meloni also found common ground politically. Both le…