President Donald Trump has publicly criticized Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni. He claims she repeatedly asked for a photo during the recent G7 summit. Trump also criticized Italy’s cooperation during the conflict with Iran.
During an interview with an Italian broadcaster this week, Trump said Meloni “begged” for a photo at the G7 meeting in France. Meloni responded by saying the claim was “completely invented.” The dispute led Italy’s Foreign Minister to cancel a planned trip to the U.S. as Meloni’s government defended her.
At Camp David, Trump wrote on social media that Meloni asked repeatedly for a photo with him at the G7 summit. Initially, he misspelled Meloni’s name, which he corrected later. Trump suggested Meloni’s popularity in Italy is suffering due to rejecting U.S. cooperation in preventing Iran from developing nuclear weapons.
Meloni quickly responded, stating that Trump’s attacks are “constant and pointless.” In an Instagram post, she noted that friendship with Trump hasn’t helped her popularity, which depends on defending Italy’s national interest. She remarked that her popularity is not Trump’s concern.
Trump initially shared comments on Friday, responding to a question about Ukraine, but instead brought up Meloni and the photo claim. He stated he wasn’t obligated to take the photo but agreed out of pity, according to La7. The broadcaster released a dubbed version of the conversation online.
Trump also voiced frustration that Meloni didn’t allow U.S. use of Italian airstrips during the Iran conflict, despite the U.S. being a leading defense spender among NATO allies. His complaint reflects ongoing dissatisfaction with NATO, which he mentioned before his upcoming meeting with NATO’s Secretary General Mark Rutte and an upcoming summit in Turkey.
Italy denied U.S. bombers access to a Sicilian base bound for the Middle East in March, citing constitutional restrictions and domestic opposition. Meloni insists that any offensive base use requires parliamentary approval. Trump expressed frustration, suggesting Meloni wishes to renew friendship amid a U.S.-Iran agreement ending the conflict.
___Silvia Stellacci from The Associated Press contributed from Rome.___
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