Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni called Donald Trump’s claim that she “begged” him for a photograph at the G7 summit “totally fabricated,” escalating a diplomatic row between the once-close allies. Trump told Italian broadcaster La7 on Friday that Meloni had pleaded with him for a photo at the Group of Seven meeting in Evian-les-Bains, France, earlier this week, saying he agreed only because he “felt sorry for her.”
Meloni responded swiftly, posting a video on social media in which she said she was “stunned” by Trump’s comments. “I don’t know why the president of the United States behaves this way with his own allies,” she said, calling his remarks “completely fabricated” and declaring: “Italy and I never beg.”
The dispute quickly escalated into a broader diplomatic row. Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani condemned Trump’s remarks as “serious and offensive” to both Meloni and all of Italy. He announced Friday that he was canceling a planned trip to the United States scheduled for the following week, marking a rare show of protest from a NATO ally.
Trump portrayed the G7 interaction as something he had granted rather than sought. “She’s probably happy I talked to her. I didn’t have to talk to her,” Trump told La7 after raising the subject himself. Video footage from the summit showed Meloni and Trump engaged in an extended one-on-one conversation while seated together on a small sofa, though Trump’s account suggested the meeting was his concession to her.
The latest clash marks a dramatic downturn in what was once viewed as a strong political partnership. Meloni, the right-wing populist leader of Italy’s Brothers of Italy party, was long regarded as one of Trump’s closest allies in Europe. She was the only European leader invited to his January 2025 inauguration. When the two met at his Mar-a-Lago resort in January 2025, Trump called her a “fantastic woman” who was “really taking Europe by storm.”
Their relationship has deteriorated significantly over the past months, particularly over disputes involving Iran policy and the Pope. In April, Trump criticized Meloni’s refusal to back the U.S.-Israeli war against Iran, and he later lashed out at Pope Leo XIV when the pontiff condemned the Iran war. Meloni defended the Pope, prompting Trump to accuse her of lacking courage. The current photo dispute appears to be the culmination of these mounting tensions.
Sources
- NBC News — Meloni’s statement that Trump’s claims were “totally fabricated” and her comments about Trump’s treatment of allies; details of Trump’s La7 interview and Tajani’s cancellation of his U.S. trip
- Reuters — Trump’s statement to La7 that Meloni “begged” him for a photo and his claim he felt sorry for her
- CNN — Tajani’s cancellation of his planned U.S. visit and his condemnation of Trump’s remarks as “serious and offensive”
- The Hill — Meloni’s statement that she was “astounded” by Trump’s comments and her broader critique of his approach to allies
