Donald Trump sparked a new diplomatic stir today when he strode past Giorgia Meloni without acknowledging her, offering neither a greeting nor a glance.
The President and Italy’s prime minister appeared to exchange a pointed snub as world leaders assembled in Ankara, Turkey, for NATO’s customary family photograph.
The two leaders, once seen as close ideological allies, cut a markedly different figure on camera, with a steely Meloni looking down while holding a fixed, polished smile through the uncomfortable moment.
The chilly scene followed weeks of strained relations, after the pair reportedly fell out in dramatic fashion at last month’s G7 Summit in Evian-les-Bains, France.
Tensions first flared when Trump used an interview with an Italian media outlet to ridicule Meloni, alleging that she had “begged” him to pose for a photograph.
The President claimed: “She wanted a picture with me so badly. I wouldn’t have taken it, but I felt sorry for her.”
He went further, adding with a dismissive edge: “She might be happy that I talked to her, I didn’t have to talk to her.”
After being embarrassed in such a public setting, an enraged Meloni responded with a forceful video statement of her own.
Once inseparable political soulmates, a defiant Giorgia Meloni stares firmly at the ground alongside Donald Trump at the NATO summit in Ankara, Turkey, on Wednesday
The President triggered fresh diplomatic drama today after marching straight past the Italian leader without offering a greeting or a glance her way
Trump and Meloni gave each other the ultimate brush-off as leaders gathered for the traditional NATO family photo in the Turkish capital
Meloni rolling her eyes at French President Emmanuel Macron at last year’s G7 summit
Declaring herself ‘astonished’ by Trump’s ‘completely made-up’ claims, she fired back with a fierce defense of her nation, barking: ‘Neither I nor Italy ever beg.’
Meloni confessed she was baffled by why the President would choose to publicly savage a Western ally, especially given their past friendship, before sighing: ‘It’s not the first time it’s happened, after all.’
She accused Trump of going soft on America’s actual adversaries while knifing long-standing allies in the back.
‘I can only say that it’s unfortunate that he doesn’t have the same determination toward the enemies of the West, toward the enemies of the United States, toward leaders with whom he appears much more accommodating,’ Meloni blasted.
Trump refused to let her have the last word. The next day, he went on a Truth Social rampage to double down on his claims.
‘Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni asked, over and over, for a picture with me during the G-7 meeting in France,’ he wrote.
‘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’
The bad blood traces back to a high-stakes military standoff in March, when Italy banned US warplanes from landing at the Sigonella air base in Sicily ahead of operations in the Middle East, according to Politico.
Trump shared a picture of Meloni smiling at him with the words ‘restraining order needed’ branded atop in a post to his Truth Social account
Trump and Meloni seemed happy in each other’s company at the G7 summit in Evian-les-Bains, France, last month, despite his comments that she ‘begged’ him for a photo
Meloni confessed she was baffled by why Trump would choose to publicly savage a Western ally, especially given their past friendship, before sighing: ‘it’s not the first time it’s happened, after all
The defiance left him reeling.
Trump launched a blistering assault on Meloni, accusing her of cowardice and abandoning both America and NATO in their hour of need.
Taking the feud to the brink, Trump threatened the ultimate nuclear option: pulling US troops out of Italy altogether.
He raged that Rome ‘has not been of any help to us’ in the conflict with Iran.
Meloni refused to take the bait quietly, later turning the tables by blasting the President for lashing out at the Pope over his condemnation of the war.
As Trump continued to swipe at her polling numbers and foreign policy stance, the Italian prime minister snapped on Instagram, savaging his behavior in a series of direct hits.
Meloni fired back that ‘these constant, unprovoked attacks are senseless.’
She added: ‘As for my popularity, being your friend certainly has not helped it, nor does it depend on my relationship with you.’
She also fiercely defended her decision to block the US aircraft, insisting that Rome had done nothing wrong and was sticking to the rulebook.
Meloni at the G7 last year in secret conversations with the French president
President Trump welcomed Meloni to the White House in April last year
President Trump, Meloni and Macron at Hotel Royal during the G7 summit in France last month
European Council president Antonio Costa, Trump, South Korean president Lee Jae Myung, Meloni and Egyptian president Abdel Fattah el-Sisi in Evian-les-Bains, France, last month
Trump greets Meloni during a summit on Gaza in Sharm el-Sheikh in October last year. Now, less than a year later, their friendship lies in tatters
‘As for the use of military bases in Italy, there are agreements that we have always respected,’ she wrote.
In a sharp final jab, Meloni told Trump that her approval ratings were absolutely none of his business.
It is a stunning collapse for a duo who have always had a warm working relationship.
Meloni was previously seen as the ultimate bridge between the White House and Europe’s conservative right.
Proving her fierce loyalty, she was famously the only European leader to attend Trump’s inauguration last year.
Now, less than a year later, that friendship lies in tatters.
