Former U.S. President Donald Trump has once again set the press abuzz with a bitter rebuke of Italy’s Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni. In a post on Truth Social, the former leader blasted Meloni for allegedly “over and over” begging for a photograph of the two leaders at the G7 summit in Évian-les-Bains, France, in June 2025. Trump warned that Italy “caused a great logistical inconvenience” by refusing U.S. use of Italian air facilities for military operations in Iran.
“Now, after the United States defeated Iran militarily, she wants to be friends again in order to get her numbers up. No thanks!”
“She begged me to take a photo with her; I felt sorry for her.” – Trump (La7 interview, Italian version)
Meloni’s reaction was swift. In an Instagram video the prime minister said she was “frankly stunned” and that the U.S. president’s behavior towards allies was “regrettable.” She also noted that Italy and the U.S. have not “beg[ged]” each other, a statement echoed in a recent interview with La7. Italy’s Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani was forced to cancel a planned trip to Washington, and the U.S. confirmed it would postpone a diplomatic visit on the same day.
The spat occurs against a backdrop of heightened tensions following the U.S. military’s 2025 strike on Iranian targets. Earlier this year, Trump had also criticized Pope Francis for what he described as weakness on crime and foreign policy—an offense that Pope later called “unacceptable.” Despite these tensions, Meloni remains the sole European leader to have attended Trump’s inauguration in January 2025.
For now, the incident underscores the fragile status quo between two longstanding allies as both leaders balance public scrutiny and strategic interests in a world where alliances are increasingly tested. The G7 summit’s quiet moments of camaraderie are now clouded by a lingering photo fiasco that may shape U.S.-Italy relations for months to come.
