Italian foreign minister cancels US visit after Trump alleges Meloni begged for photo
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Italy’s foreign minister called off a planned trip to Washington following President Donald Trump’s claim that Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni begged for a photo at the G7 summit, a statement the Italian government described as offensive.
Italy’s foreign minister Antonio Tajani announced the cancellation of his scheduled trip to the United States, saying President Donald Trump’s allegation that Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni “begged” for a photo at the recent G7 summit was “serious and offensive” toward both Meloni and the country.
Meloni responded in a video, calling the president’s remarks “completely fabricated” and stating that Italy “does not beg.” She added that Trump’s behavior toward an ally was “astonishing.”
"Donald Trump’s statements are completely fabricated. I am frankly stunned," Meloni said in the video.
The comments were made during a televised interview on Italy’s La7 network, where Trump said he felt sorry for Meloni and agreed to a photo after she allegedly asked for it. The interview was later dubbed in Italian, and the original English audio was not released.
Italian officials across the government expressed support for the prime minister. President Sergio Mattarella warned that attacks on Meloni were attacks on the nation, while Transport Minister Matteo Salvini posted that “whoever attacks Giorgia Meloni attacks all of us.” Justice Minister Carlo Nordio referenced the sacrifices of American troops in World War II, and Defense Minister Guido Crosetto said jokes about the incident “do no good to anyone.”
Relations between Rome and Washington have been strained over differing positions on the war in Ukraine, U.S. support for Israel, and Italy’s stance on the conflict in Iran. Tajani had been slated to attend an Italy-U.S. business forum in Miami and meet Secretary of State Marco Rubio before canceling the trip.