Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni Criticises Donald Trump at G7 Summit
Giorgia Meloni accused U.S. President Donald Trump of lying and pandering to adversaries, marking a rare public rebuke of the president by a European leader.
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni used a press conference after the Group of Seven meeting to accuse U.S. President Donald Trump of spreading falsehoods and catering to his opponents, while also suggesting he should focus on his own poll numbers ahead of the November midterm elections. The remarks represent a departure from the usual diplomatic restraint shown by European leaders toward Trump, who has previously praised Meloni’s appearance and expressed admiration for her political style.
Meloni’s comments came after a relatively amicable G7 summit in which leaders discussed, among other topics, a pending U.S. agreement with Iran. Trump left the meeting describing the G7 as “one of the most successful” despite his longstanding criticism of the forum.
"He lies and panders to enemies while turning on his friends," Meloni said, adding that Trump should look at his own polling.
The Italian leader’s rebuke follows a pattern of increasing tension between Trump and several G7 members, though most have avoided direct public confrontations.