Meloni rejects Trump claim she begged for photo at G7
Select a version of the text written from a presumed ideological perspective. This is not the original text, but a hypothetical version — how someone with that viewpoint might have phrased it. Tapping the current version again will return to the original or select cleaned version.
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni called President Donald Trump's allegation that she begged for a picture at the G7 summit false, prompting diplomatic tension and the cancellation of a US visit by Italy's foreign minister.
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said she was "frankly stunned" after President Donald Trump told Italian television that she had begged him for a photo during the G7 summit in Evian-les-Bains. Meloni described the claim as entirely fabricated and posted a brief statement on Instagram expressing disbelief.
Trump made the remarks in a phone interview with Italy's La7 channel, saying he felt sorry for Meloni and that she was "probably happy I spoke to her." The interview was dubbed in Italian; the original English comments were not released.
In response, Italy's foreign minister Antonio Tajani cancelled a planned trip to the United States next week. President Sergio Mattarella called Meloni to offer support, and several Italian politicians condemned Trump's tone, describing it as disrespectful toward an allied leader.
The dispute highlights a cooling of relations that had been relatively close after Meloni attended Trump's 2025 inauguration. The two leaders had previously appeared to maintain a cordial rapport at the G7 summit, where they were photographed talking together.
"She begged me to take a photo with her; I felt sorry for her," Trump said in the La7 interview.
"I don't know why the US president behaves this way towards allies," Meloni wrote on Instagram.
Analysts noted that the episode may reflect broader tensions over differing positions on the United States' approach to Iran and other foreign policy issues.