Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni denied Friday that she begged President Donald Trump for a photograph at this week’s G7 summit in France, calling his claim “completely made up” and saying she was “frankly astonished” by his remarks.
Trump told Italian television channel La7 that Meloni had “begged” him to take a photo with her at the summit in Evian, saying he felt sorry for her and agreed though he wasn’t obliged to do so. “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,” he said, according to La7’s translation.
In a video posted to social media, Meloni responded with a sharp rebuke. “Donald Trump’s statements are completely made up. I am frankly astonished. I don’t know why the president of the United States behaves like this towards his allies,” she said. She added that Trump shows “far greater indulgence” toward enemies of the West than toward established allies, concluding: “There is one thing he should remember: neither I nor Italy ever beg.”
The diplomatic fallout intensified when Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani cancelled a planned visit to the United States scheduled for June 21 and 22. Tajani said Trump’s comments were “serious and offensive” and “offend all of Italy,” according to Reuters. The U.S. State Department did not immediately respond to the cancellation.
A Relationship in Decline
The photo dispute marks a sharp escalation in tensions between two leaders who were once close allies. Meloni was the only European leader to attend Trump’s inauguration in 2025, but their relationship fractured earlier this year over the conflict in Iran. When Trump criticized the Pope in April 2026 for his stance on the Iran war, Meloni called his remarks “unacceptable,” prompting Trump to accuse her of lacking courage. Trump told reporters he had “no respect” for allies who refused to support military action against Iran, saying “anybody that turned us down to helping with this Iran situation, we do not have the same relationship,” according to PBS reporting.
At the G7 summit this week in Evian, video showed Meloni and Trump deep in conversation on a small sofa. A European diplomatic source told Reuters that Meloni was one of the most forceful voices at the summit, openly challenging Trump on several points and defending Europe’s stance on NATO and other issues. Despite signs the two had steadied their relationship during the summit itself, Trump’s comments to La7 have now shattered any hopes of reconciliation.
One of Meloni’s closest political allies, Giovanbattista Fazzolari, undersecretary to the prime minister’s office, issued a rare public rebuke. “It is unclear whether out of intent or ineptitude (Trump) is wrecking the historic relations between the United States and Europe,” Fazzolari said, according to Reuters. “With his inappropriate outbursts, he has managed no easy feat, to make the United States unpopular across the entire European continent, damaging not only Europe but above all the United States.”
Sources
- Reuters — Trump’s claim to La7 about Meloni begging for a photo, Meloni’s denial and video statement, Tajani’s cancellation, European diplomatic source on Meloni’s role at G7, Fazzolari’s statement
- PBS NewsHour — Trump’s April 2026 criticism of Meloni and allies over Iran support
- NBC News — Trump’s continued criticism of Meloni in Friday interview
