Donald Trump Can’t Stop, Won’t Stop Catfighting with Our Allies

By Jeffrey Blehar

Saturday, June 20, 2026

 

Donald Trump has never been the most temperate-minded of men. Even during his first term, his emotional volatility — particularly toward anyone perceived as an erstwhile ally — was legendary, and his capacity to hold on to grudges unending. But during his vastly more unmediated second term? Trump acts increasingly like a gambler on tilt, pushing as many of America’s chips as he can get his hands on into the center of the table while deliriously barking at anyone who tries to tell him not to riskily — indeed, foolishly — wager things which are not his to gamble with in the first place, only to steward. (To name but one timely example: America’s geopolitical credibility.)

 

I wouldn’t dare accuse the president of losing control of his mental faculties in his old age — though he was notably slump-shouldered and droopy at this year’s G-7 meetings — but it certainly does seem like he is letting his id run rampant in all things because he knows the ride is going to be over fairly soon. Hence the rush to rename buildings after himself and “Trumpify” whatever government property he can get his hands on.

 

And hence his from-the-hip spray-gun approach to foreign policy. I suspect that somewhere in recesses of Trump’s brain, he is aware that someone else is going to have to come along and clean up whatever foreign policy messes he makes, but he clearly doesn’t care that much: He’s going to wield this amazing power right now, while he retains it. He had the power to launch a war to try and destroy the Iranian regime, so he used it. He failed, and that is a problem for other people, not Dealmaker Donald. As for what comes three years from now? That’s not his department.

 

And if Donald Trump wants to go to rhetorical war with the leader of an allied NATO country, what’s to stop old Lear in his dotage from angrily rattling his scepter? Yes, I thought I was done discussing Trump’s ridiculous dust-up with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni on Friday, when Trump farcically dismissed her as a drooling superfan desperate to grab a picture with Earth’s Most Beloved Politician in order to boost her national popularity ratings. (Trump currently sports a cool 7 percent approval in Italy.)

 

In reality, Trump is in deep denial about how unpopular he is with world leaders right now – surprise, turns out Iran just “closed” the Strait of Hormuz again! – and is constitutionally incapable of doing anything except deflecting and turning it into a dominance-game. When Meloni shot back at Trump in a video and accused him of betraying our allies, there was little chance Trump would be able to let the matter go.

 

And so, dear readers, he’s back at it again! Early this morning, what was Trump doing but “Truthing” out yet another intemperate attack on Meloni:

 

Italian Prime Minister Gigiorgia [sic] 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

 

At a certain point, I almost begin to wonder whether this is all pro-wrestling kayfabe. For while it is true that Meloni is unpopular — she has a 40 percent approval rating currently, the eventual fate of all Italian prime ministers — she could only stand to benefit from the public disdain of Donald Trump, a man arguably less popular in Italy right now than most militant North African boat refugees.

 

But I think Trump is genuinely deluded. His personal constitution simply does not permit the acknowledgement of failure — thus, ironically enough, this is the first time he has hit true “failure mode” himself. There will be no “recovery” from this error. Trump is incapable of making the moves that might save him — and certainly save America trouble in the long run — because they’re simply not coded into his political or personal DNA. This is merely a small token of that reality. Expect worse in the future.