Trump Escalates Feud With Italy’s Giorgia Meloni Over Disputed G7 Photo Claim

President Donald Trump and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni escalated a feud over a disputed G7 photo claim after Trump insisted Meloni “begged” for a picture with him at the summit in France.

“Trump, Italian PM Giorgia Meloni feud online over G7 photo The prime minster has denied Trump's claims she "begged" for a photo”

ABC News

Meloni denied the account and told Trump, “These constant, unprovoked attacks are senseless,” while adding that “My popularity is none of your concern.”

ABC News

Trump repeated his allegation in a Truth Social post, writing that Meloni asked “over and over” for a photograph with him during the G7 meeting.

The dispute began after Trump told Italian broadcaster La7 that Meloni “begged” him for a photo at the meeting in Evian-les-Bains, and it deepened as Italian ministers lined up behind Meloni.

Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani canceled a planned trip to the United States after Trump’s remarks, saying they were “offend all of Italy.”

Meloni responded directly to Trump’s latest posts by framing the attacks as unprovoked, telling him, “President Trump, these constant, unprovoked attacks are senseless.”

In parallel, Trump continued to portray the interaction as something he granted, saying, “I didn’t have to talk to her,” after video footage from the G7 showed Meloni and Trump engaged in an extended one-on-one conversation.

Al Jazeera

Trump also tied the photo dispute to his broader criticism of Italy’s stance on the Iran war, writing that Meloni turned down U.S. requests and that she wanted “to be friends again in order to get her ‘numbers up.’”

Meloni pushed back on that framing by insisting, “My popularity depends on my ability to defend Italy’s national interest, and that is exactly what I have always done.”

The row also triggered political commotion in Italy, with ABC News reporting that deputy premier and foreign minister Antonio Tajani said he called off his visit to the United States planned for Sunday and Monday.

The feud over the G7 photo claim fed into a wider diplomatic dispute about cooperation during the Iran war, with Trump complaining that Meloni “wouldn’t even let us use Italy’s landing strips or runways.”

“- Published Italy's Giorgia Meloni has again hit back at US President Donald Trump on social media after he questioned her political popularity and repeated his claim that she asked "over and over" for a photo together”

BBC

Meloni responded by saying, “Their use is governed by agreements that we have always respected and that cannot be violated,” and added, “As long as I am prime minister, Italy remains a sovereign nation.”

As the confrontation continued, ABC News reported that Trump also slammed Meloni for her perceived lack of support for the U.S.’s war in Iran, while the White House did not immediately respond to ABC News’ request for comment.

The dispute also carried consequences for U.S.-Italy engagement, with multiple outlets describing Tajani’s cancellation of a planned trip to the United States as a response to Trump’s “serious and offensive words.”

In the background of the personal clash, the sources also tied the spat to Italy’s domestic politics and public opinion, with CBC reporting Meloni’s government approval rising to about 35 per cent and Brothers of Italy leading polls with about 28 per cent support.