On Saturday, President Donald Trump targeted Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni. He claimed she repeatedly requested a photo with him at the recent Group of Seven summit. He also criticized Italy’s lack of cooperation during the war with Iran.
Trump’s remarks intensified a dispute that started earlier this week. During an interview with an Italian broadcaster, Trump stated that Meloni “begged” for a photo at the G7 meeting in France. Meloni dismissed his claims as “completely invented.” This led Italy’s Foreign Minister to cancel a planned trip to the United States. The Italian government supported Meloni’s stance.
Trump wrote on his social media from Camp David, “The Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni asked repeatedly for a photo with me during the G-7 meeting in France.” Initially, he misspelled her name but later corrected it. He added, “She struggles with popularity in Italy, possibly due to rejecting the United States. The U.S. loves and protects Italy, especially against Iran’s nuclear ambitions, but NATO also did, by the way!”
Meloni responded soon after. In a statement directed at Trump, she said, “These constant and unprovoked attacks are senseless.” She noted her popularity doesn’t depend on her relationship with Trump, adding, “My popularity depends on my ability to defend Italy’s national interest, which is exactly what I have always done.” She further stated, “In any case, my popularity is none of your business. I suggest you focus on yours.”
Trump’s initial comments aired Friday on La7. When asked about Ukraine, he mentioned Meloni and the photo claim. He said he wasn’t obliged to take the photo with her, but felt pity and agreed, according to La7. The broadcaster released a dubbed version of the conversation online, but not the original English audio.
In his post, Trump complained that Meloni didn’t allow the U.S. to use Italian airstrips during the war with Iran, despite the U.S. being a leader in defense spending among NATO allies. This complaint has been longstanding regarding the military alliance. Trump discussed this issue before his White House meeting on Wednesday with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte and the upcoming NATO summit in Turkey next month.
Italy, a key logistical hub for the U.S., denied in March the use of a Sicilian base for U.S. bombers headed to the Middle East without parliamentary approval. This decision reflected constitutional restrictions and strong internal opposition to the war. Meloni has maintained that any use of Italian bases for offensive operations requires parliamentary support.
On Saturday, Trump vented his frustrations with Meloni and claimed she “wants to be friends again” following the initial agreement between the U.S. and Iran to end the war.
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AP journalist Silvia Stellacci contributed to this report from Rome.
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This story was translated from English by an AP editor with assistance from a generative artificial intelligence tool.
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