Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has seen her domestic standing improve after a public clash with Donald Trump at last month’s G7 summit in France, even as the broader feud has exposed tensions in their once-friendly relationship.
The row erupted after Trump made dismissive remarks about Meloni following the June 15-17 summit in Évian-les-Bains, where the two leaders met on the sidelines of the gathering.
The dispute spilled onto social media after Trump claimed the Italian leader had been eager to be photographed with him.
“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.”
The exchange surprised some observers because the two had appeared to have a friendly rapport during earlier encounters. Relations had already been strained in the spring after Pope Leo XIV criticized the war in Iran and Trump lashed out at the pontiff, prompting Meloni to defend the pope and condemn Trump’s remarks.
That left the Italian leader publicly aligned against Trump on one of the biggest international flashpoints of the year, and the spat soon escalated into a highly visible exchange that played out online and in the media.
Whatever the exact trigger, Meloni appears to have gained politically from the episode at home.
A YouGov tracker currently places her favorability at 21 percent among U.S. adults, while a June 18 YouTrend poll for Sky TG24 showed her Brothers of Italy party leading national voting intentions on 27.8 percent, ahead of the Democratic Party on 22.2 percent.
That put the governing party roughly five and a half points clear of its nearest rival, suggesting Meloni still retains a strong political base despite the diplomatic flare-up.
It is still difficult to quantify how much of that momentum is directly tied to the Trump confrontation, but the timing has drawn attention in Italy, where the row has been widely covered.
During the social media fallout, Meloni said she was ‘frankly stunned’ by Trump’s description of events.
“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.”
Trump then responded on Truth Social with a further attack on her standing at home.
“She is doing poorly in Italy with her level of popularity, possibly because she turned down the United States of America, a Country that truly loves and protects Italy, when it came to denying Iran from obtaining or developing a Nuclear Weapon (But so did NATO, for that matter!),”
Meloni dismissed that suggestion as ‘senseless.’
“As for my popularity, being your friend has certainly not helped it, nor does it depend on my relationship with you,”
She also suggested Trump may want to pay closer attention to his own poll ratings.
Some commentators believe the breakdown in their relationship may also have influenced Meloni’s tone on international issues. After she shared a video stressing the need for Europe to strengthen its geopolitical position, one X user wrote:
“I’ve never heard Giorgia Meloni express such a strong europhile sentiment. This comes after her spat with President Trump.”
Another added:
“She’s really grown on me.”