WEB DESK:Italy’s Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has fired back at Donald Trump after the US president falsely claimed she “begged” him to take a photo together during the G7 summit in Évian, calling the remarks “totally invented” and expressing astonishment at his behavior toward allies.
The dispute marks a fresh low in relations between the two leaders, who had appeared to be repairing their partnership after falling out in April over Italy’s refusal to support the US-Israeli war in Iran and Trump’s subsequent attack on Pope Leo.
In a dubbed interview broadcast Friday on Italy’s La7, Trump said of Meloni: “She’s probably happy I talked to her. I didn’t have to talk to her. 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 comments sparked outrage across Italy’s political spectrum. Meloni responded swiftly with an Instagram video post captioned “Italy and I never beg,” stating: “Donald Trump’s declarations are totally invented. Frankly, I am stunned. 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 announced he had cancelled a planned trip to the US next week, writing on X: “The serious and offensive words of President Trump towards Prime Minister Giorgia offend the whole of Italy.”
Even opposition leaders condemned the remarks. Former Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte, head of the Five Star Movement, said Italy “doesn’t deserve to find itself so blatantly humiliated.”
