Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has pushed back after Donald Trump said she ‘begged’ to have her picture taken with him.
The dispute erupted after Trump described a photo moment with Meloni at this week’s G7 summit in Évian-les-Bains, France, in remarks to Italy’s La7 television channel. Trump has been one of Meloni’s closest European allies, but the relationship has become increasingly tense in recent months amid disagreements over Iran, the Vatican and Washington’s broader foreign policy direction.
During the interview, Trump claimed Meloni had been eager to pose with him and suggested he agreed out of sympathy.
According to Trump, the Italian leader was glad he had spoken to her at all, before he went on to say:
“She begged me to take a picture with her. She wanted a picture with me so badly. I wouldn’t have taken it, but I felt sorry for her.”
Meloni swiftly rejected the remarks, calling Trump’s version of events untrue. She responded on Instagram and said the claim had been completely made up.
She wrote on Instagram:
“Frankly, I am stunned. Italy and I never beg. Some things deserve an immediate response. I don’t know why the US president behaves this way towards his allies.
“It’s not the first time it’s happened. I can only say it’s unfortunate he doesn’t show the same determination towards the West’s enemies.”
Italy’s foreign minister, Antonio Tajani, then canceled a planned visit to the United States, saying Trump’s comments were “serious and offensive” and did not just insult Meloni but all of Italy.
In a post on X, Tajani said:
“The serious and offensive words of President Trump towards Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni offend all of Italy,”
He then added:
“For this reason, I have decided to cancel my visit to the United States scheduled for the next 21 and 22 June.”
The latest row adds to an already uneven stretch in US-Italian relations. Earlier this year, Trump criticized Meloni over her stance on the war in Iran and later lashed out at Pope Leo XIV after the pontiff condemned the conflict and urged peace. Meloni defended the pope’s right to speak out, while also trying to keep ties with Washington on track.
Trump later answered during a phone interview with Italian newspaper Corriera Della Sera, saying:
“It’s her who’s unacceptable, because she doesn’t care if Iran has a nuclear weapon and would blow up Italy in two minutes if it had the chance.”
For now, both sides are framing the row as more than a personal spat: in Rome, officials are treating Trump’s remarks as a public slight against Italy, while in Washington the president appears to be doubling down on a boast that has quickly turned into a diplomatic embarrassment.