By Saturday, Trump had escalated the exchange, renewing his criticism of Meloni and claiming she now “wants to be friends again.”
“Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni asked, over and over, for a picture with me during the G-7 meeting in France,” Trump wrote on Truth Social, days after Meloni denied his earlier claim that she had “begged” him for a photo.
Trump also tied his criticism to foreign policy, writing, “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!).”
He further claimed that Meloni “wouldn’t even let us use Italy’s landing strips” for attacks on Iran.
“Now, after the United States defeated Iran militarily, she wants to be friends again in order to get her ‘numbers up.’ No thanks!!!” Trump added.
The latest strain in relations surfaced during the G7 meetings in Evian-les-Bains, France, after President Trump told a reporter from Italy’s La7 TV last week that Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni “wanted a picture with me so badly,” adding that he “felt sorry for her.”
Meloni responded sharply in a video statement, saying, “I do not know why the president of the United States behaves this way toward his allies — it is certainly not the first time this has happened.”
The Italian leader said she was “frankly stunned” by the remark and dismissed Trump’s version of events as “made-up.”
“Neither I nor Italy ever beg,” she added.
Italy’s Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani nixed a planned US visit that had been set for next week in the wake of the tiff.
Trump and Meloni had warm relations when she came to power in 2022 as head of the right wing populist Brothers of Italy party.
