31°46′40.7″N 35°14′07.7″E
Top Stories
The Wire
← The Wire
Statecraft · Dispatch · PoliticalDeveloping

Trump says he is 'disappointed' with Italy, UK, Germany; calls Spain a 'shame show'

The Zioneer Intelligence DeskUpdated 23:29
Trump says he is 'disappointed' with Italy, UK, Germany; calls Spain a 'shame show'

Primary source Internal intake · 2 reviewed intake signals · Desk window 23:26–23:29

TL;DR

President Donald Trump expressed disappointment with three key European allies — Italy, the United Kingdom, and Germany — and described Spain as a "shame show," according to a message he posted Wednesday night. He called the group "a bunch of very bad people." The remarks add to a string of recent Trump criticisms of European partners amid tensions over trade, the Iran deal, and the Israel-Hamas war.

01 · THE DISPATCH

In a Telegram-like message posted on Wednesday at around 23:25 Jerusalem time, President Donald Trump delivered a broadside against several European allies: "I am disappointed with Italy, with Britain, Germany. Spain is a shame show. They are a bunch of very bad people."

The remarks come amid a continuing pattern of friction between the Trump administration and European powers over the Iran nuclear deal, trade tariffs, and the response to the Hamas-Israel conflict. Over the past week, Trump has traded barbs with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni — calling her a "beggar" for a photo — leading Italy's foreign minister to cancel a visit to Washington. Trump also recently threatened Iran with immediate attack after accusing it of stalling nuclear talks, and has criticized Gulf states for opposing the Iran deal.

The new statement does not mention any specific trigger. It appears to lump together four major European nations in a single criticism, without naming a particular policy or incident. Spain recently hosted a European Parliament speech by MEP Irina Montero, a far-left figure who attacked both Trump and Israel. Italy has been the most vocal European critic of Trump's Iran policy. The United Kingdom and Germany have both maintained diplomatic distance from Trump over the Gaza war.

The message is the latest in a series of Trump social-media outbursts this month that have unsettled Western alliance cohesion. It remains unclear whether any of the named countries will respond officially.

Related dispatches
03 · Source and signal

Source and signal

  • Internal intake
Desk accountability

This dispatch is published under The Zioneer Intelligence Desk. Raw intake channels remain internal provenance; an external outlet or channel is named only when it materially helps readers evaluate a specific claim.