Giorgia Meloni did not hesitate to respond firmly: “I and Italy never beg.” This statement came after President Donald Trump claimed that Meloni had “begged” him for a photo at the Group of Seven summit. The Italian prime minister emphasized that Trump’s assertion was “totally fabricated.”
The issue surfaced when Trump, in an interview with Italian broadcaster La7, suggested Meloni had asked for a photo during the gathering of industrialized nations in Evian-les-Bains, France. Trump stated, “She begged me to take a photo with her. She wanted a photo with me so badly— I could have skipped it, but I felt sorry for her.” La7 posted the interview on its website on Friday.
In her rebuttal, Meloni expressed being “stunned” by Trump’s remarks. She criticized Trump’s approach to international relations, noting his seemingly lesser regard for Western allies compared to adversaries. “I don’t know why the president of the United States behaves this way with his own allies,” Meloni stated. “It’s not the first time this has happened.”
Meloni referenced a prior incident from April when Trump criticized her refusal to support the U.S.-Israeli war against Iran in an interview with Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera. Meloni chose not to comment publicly at that time.
The recent disagreement intensified as Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani labeled Trump’s comments as “serious” and “offensive” to Italy as a whole. Tajani also canceled a planned trip to the U.S. in response.
A video from the G7 summit showed Meloni and Trump having an extended conversation on a small sofa. Trump depicted this interaction as something he allowed rather than sought out. “She’s probably happy I talked to her. I didn’t have to talk to her,” Trump remarked to La7, after he initiated a discussion about Meloni during the interview.
La7 only released a dubbed version of the interview, without the original audio. Another video from the event displayed Meloni speaking energetically while Trump appeared passive.
Meloni was once considered one of Trump’s closest European allies, attending his inauguration in January 2025 as the sole European leader present. Trump previously praised Meloni, whose Brothers of Italy party symbolizes a wider nationalist trend in Europe. He referred to her as “a fantastic woman” during their meeting at Mar-a-Lago last year.
This recent conflict signals a severe decline in the relationship between the two right-wing figures. Earlier this year, Meloni openly criticized Trump after he attacked Pope Leo XIV for the pope’s stance against the Iran war. Trump retorted by questioning Meloni’s bravery, highlighting the fractures in their formerly strong alliance.
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