A diplomatic dispute erupted after President Donald Trump claimed Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni "begged" him for a photo at the G7 summit. Meloni called the story "totally invented" and declared "Neither I nor Italy ever beg." In response, Italy's foreign minister canceled a planned U.S. visit, calling Trump's words "offensive." The incident highlights the deteriorating relationship between the two leaders, who were once close allies.
Trump's 'begged' claim
- ▪President Donald Trump claimed in an interview with Italian TV channel La7 that Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni "begged" him for a photo at the G7 summit
- ▪The Italian TV network La7 broadcast a dubbed Italian version of President Trump's interview, not the original English audio
- ▪President Trump stated he only agreed to the photo with Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni because he "felt sorry for her."
Meloni's defiant response
- ▪Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni declared, "Neither I nor Italy ever beg."
- ▪Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni stated that President Donald Trump's claims were "totally invented" and "completely made up."
- ▪In a video response, Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said she was "frankly stunned" by President Trump's comments
- ▪Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni criticized President Trump for not showing the same "determination" towards enemies of the West
Italian government solidarity
- ▪Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani canceled a planned visit to the U.S. scheduled for June 21-22 in response to President Trump's remarks
- ▪Transport Minister Matteo Salvini stated, "Whoever attacks Giorgia Meloni attacks all of us."
- ▪Italian Defense Minister Guido Crosetto said he could not imagine Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni asking for a photo, "not even under threat."
- ▪Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani described President Trump's words as "serious and offensive" and said they "offend all of Italy."
Deteriorating US-Italy relations
- ▪Tensions between President Trump and Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni had previously risen over the US-Israeli war in Iran, which Italy did not support
- ▪In April, President Trump said of Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, "I thought she had courage, but I was wrong," after she called his remarks on the Pope "unacceptable."
- ▪The exchange marks a sharp deterioration in the relationship between Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and President Donald Trump
- ▪The relationship also frayed after President Trump criticized Pope Leo XIV's anti-war views and Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni defended the pontiff
Previous Trump-Meloni friendship
- ▪Following President Trump's 2024 election victory, Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni met with him at his Mar-a-Lago estate
- ▪Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni was previously considered one of President Donald Trump's closest political allies in Europe
- ▪Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni was the only European leader to attend President Donald Trump's second inauguration in January 2025
- ▪Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni had sought to position herself as a "bridge" between the Trump administration and the European Union
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