The G7 Summit this year became the starting point of a feud that has now caught the world’s attention — a Donald Trump vs Giorgia Meloni war of words. A commentary on a photo op has now turned into a public spat between two powerful world leaders.
Tensions between the United States and Italy escalated sharply, to the point that the Italian foreign minister Antonio Tajani reportedly cancelled his visit to the US, scheduled for June 21 and 22. He said that Trump’s remarks had offended the “whole of Italy”.
Let’s break down the entire row and take a look at the tiff:
Where did the tiff start?
US President Donald Trump, once a close ally of Italy’s Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, told an Italian channel that she “begged” him to take a photo with her at the G7 Summit in France last week.
“She begged me to take a picture with her. She wanted a picture with me so badly. I wouldn’t have taken it, but I felt sorry for her,” Trump reportedly told La7 channel in a brief interview.
The channel did not release the original audio; it only released a dubbed version, Reuters reported.
After the channel’s journalist asked Trump about Meloni, he further said, “She’s probably happy I talked to her. I didn’t have to talk to her.”
Referring to the several videos circulating of Trump and Meloni from the G7 Summit, in which the two appear to be in a serious conversation, the US President reportedly suggested he was just chatting with her.
Later, on a phone call with the US’s NBC News, Trump was asked about his “begging” claim, and he said, “That’s true.”
He decried Italy’s lack of support for the US in the Iran war and the issues around the Strait of Hormuz. “She wasn’t there for us. She was a big fan but I don’t want her as a fan because she was not there — along with the NATO group — having to do with the Strait,” Trump stated.
The US President has time and again jibed at NATO allies for not having supported American forces after the war began on February 28, 2026.
Trump has also threatened to pull American troops from Italy, saying Rome “has not been of any help to us” in the Iran war.
Meloni’s fierce response
Giorgia Meloni didn’t let Trump off the hook that easily. She fiercely responded to his claims, saying his statements about the photo op are “completely made up.”
In a video message on X, the Italian PM added that she was “frankly astonished” by Trump’s behaviour.
“I am frankly astonished. I don’t know why the president of the United States behaves like this towards his allies: it is not the first time, moreover,” she said.
Meloni further stated that she was disappointed in how Trump doesn’t show such determination when it comes to the enemies of the West and of the US. She said that the US President treats them with “far greater indulgence.”
“There is one thing he should remember: neither I nor Italy ever beg,” Meloni remarked.
Row cancels Italian FM’s US visit, angers Italy
Italy’s foreign minister, Antonio Tajani, was forced to cancel his visit to the US. In a post X, Tajani said, “The grave and offensive words of President Trump… offend the whole of Italy.”
The foreign minister was scheduled to visit the US on June 21 and 22.
Italian justice minister Carlo Nordio also criticised Trump’s remarks, calling them a “painful injury” to Italy-US ties. Defence minister Guido Crosetto said that “these jokes do not benefit anyone.”
Trump doubles down on his claims
On Saturday, Donald Trump brought up his claims again. In a post on Truth Social, he initially said, “Italian Prime Minister Gigiorgia Meloni asked, over and over, for a picture with me during the G-7 meeting in France.” He spelled the Italian PM’s first name wrong, but fixed the error later.
In that post, Trump also claimed that Meloni is not doing well (politically) in Italy, citing her declining popularity, adding that the reason for her decline is that she turned down the US, a country “that truly loves and protects Italy”.
“Italian Prime Minister Giorgia 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!),” his post read.
Trump said that first she didn’t help the US with the war in the Middle East, and now that the American forces have “defeated” Iran’s military, Meloni wanted to be America’s friend again.
“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!!!” he added.
Meloni jabs Trump’s ‘senseless attacks’
Soon after Donald Trump’s post on Truth Social, Italian PM Giorgia Meloni responded on Instagram. She shared a screenshot of the US President’s post and said, “President Trump, these constant, unprovoked attacks are senseless.”
In a sharp and clear response, Meloni said that her popularity has nothing to do with her relationship with him. She said it depends solely on her ability to protect Italy and its national interests.
In reference to the US military bases in Italy, the PM said that the use of facilities is governed by long-standing agreements, adding that they cannot be violated as long as she is in office.
“As for my popularity, being your friend certainly has not helped it, nor does it depend on my relationship with you. My popularity depends on my ability to defend Italy’s national interest, and that is exactly what I have always done,” Meloni wrote in her post.
She added, “That is also what I did regarding the American military bases in Italy. Their use is governed by agreements that we have always respected, and that cannot be violated as long as I am Prime Minister. Italy remains a sovereign nation.”
Italy, which is a key logistics hub for the US, had declined to allow American bombers — headed to the Middle East — to use a base in Sicily without parliamentary approval.
The decision was based on constitutional constraints and strong domestic opposition to the war in Iran.
Meloni concluded her post with a sharp “suggestion” to Trump: “In any case, my popularity is none of your concern. I suggest you focus on yours.”
The discoloration of US-Italy ties
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni was once an open supporter of Donald Trump, and was the only European leader to attend his presidential inauguration in Washington in January 2025.
Though Meloni used to position herself as a balancing force between Europe and the Trump administration, things began to sour after the Middle East conflict.
In April, the Italian PM criticised Trump for lashing out at Pope Leo, who condemned the US-Iran war. She had said that the US President’s remarks were “unacceptable.”
Meloni’s remarks prompted a blunt rebuttal from the Republican leader, who at the time said in an interview with an Italian daily, “I’m shocked at her. I thought she had courage, but I was wrong.”
The latest fallout comes against the backdrop of a long-flaying US-Europe relationship, which grew bitter mainly because of the Trump administration’s trade policy toward the continent. The US President has also drawn ire from European leaders over his repeated threats of taking over Greenland, a self-governing territory of Denmark, and his decision to jointly attack Iran with Israel.
Trump appeared to adopt a warmer tone toward European leaders at the G7 Summit in France’s Évian-les-Bains, a shift that became apparent after his agreement to the interim peace deal with Iran. However, tensions might rise again as Trump is expected to travel to Turkey for the annual NATO summit next month.
Even Giorgia Meloni, at the end of the G7 Summit, had reportedly spoken of a “very positive climate” and “no friction” between Trump and the other world leaders present.
But Trump’s “begging” claims on the Italian leader have drawn back-to-back intense rebuttals from her.
