After US President Donald Trump told a TV channel that the Italian Prime Minister had “begged” him for a photo at the G7 Summit, Giorgia Meloni countered his claim, saying that it was “completely made up”.
While speaking to an Italian media outlet, the Republican leader said that he did not “have to” talk to Meloni and that she was “probably happy” that he spoke to her.
Trump spoke to Italy’s La7 TV channel in a brief interview and said that Meloni wanted to take a picture with him “so badly”. He then said that he would not have taken the picture but he felt “sorry for her”.
“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,” Trump told the TV channel.
Meloni’s Hits Back
Meloni dismissed Trump’s comments and said that she was “astonished” by them.
In a post on X, the right-wing Italian premier said that this is not the first time Trump has made insulting comments about his own allies.
Io e l’Italia non imploriamo mai. pic.twitter.com/sTpKlqWB67
— Giorgia Meloni (@GiorgiaMeloni) June 19, 2026
“Donald Trump’s statements are completely made up, I’m frankly appalled. I don’t know why the President of the United States behaves this way with his own allies; after all, it’s not the first time it’s happened,” she said.
“I can only say it’s a shame that he doesn’t show the same determination with the enemies of the West, with the enemies of the United States, with leaderships toward which he instead proves much more accommodating. However, one thing he must remember: I and Italy never beg,” she added.
Italian Foreign Minister Cancels US Visit
As a result of Trump’s comments, Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani announced the cancellation of his planned visit to the US and said in a post on X that Trump’s offensive words towards Meloni have offended the whole of Italy.
Le gravi e offensive parole del Presidente Trump nei confronti del Presidente del Consiglio Giorgia Meloni offendono tutta l’Italia. Per questo motivo ho deciso di annullare la mia visita negli Stati Uniti prevista per i prossimi 21 e 22 giugno.
— Antonio Tajani (@Antonio_Tajani) June 19, 2026
“The grave and offensive words of President Trump… offend the whole of Italy,” Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani, who had been due to visit the US on June 21 and 22, said on X.
Other Italian Ministers Slam Trump
The undersecretary to the prime minister’s office, Giovanbattista Fazzolari, said in a statement that “it is unclear whether out of intent or ineptitude (Trump) is wrecking the historic relations between the United States and Europe.”
He added, “With his inappropriate outbursts, he has managed no easy feat, to make the United States unpopular across the entire European continent, damaging not only Europe but above all the United States.”
Italy’s Defence Minister Guido Crosetto also rebuked Trump’s claims, saying he didn’t believe Meloni would ever beg someone for a photo, “not even under threat.”
“I can, however, imagine how much it cost her to set aside what Trump had said weeks ago, to serve the interests of Italy, of Europe, and of the West,” Crosetto posted on X. “Jokes of this kind do no good to anyone: neither to the USA, nor to Italy, nor to the alliance.”
Although Meloni had initially sought to build on longstanding strong US-Italian ties when Trump began his second mandate, the relationship between the two countries has soured since Trump’s comments against Pope Leo.
Meloni criticised him this year for lashing out at Pope Leo over his condemnation of the Iran conflict. That in turn prompted a blunt rebuke from the US president, who accused her of lacking courage.
