Overview
- President Trump told Italian broadcaster La7 on Friday that Giorgia Meloni had “begged” him for a photo at the G7 and said he agreed out of pity.
- Meloni immediately rejected the account as “completely invented,” saying in a public message that neither she nor Italy ever beg.
- Italy’s foreign minister Antonio Tajani canceled a planned visit to the United States on June 21–22 in protest and called Trump’s remarks “serious and insulting.”
- Trump repeated and expanded the accusation on Truth Social, attacking Meloni’s domestic standing and criticizing Italy’s restrictions on U.S. use of military bases.
- The episode reflects a longer deterioration in relations over the Iran conflict, NATO and previous public quarrels, has rallied broad political support for Meloni in Rome, and risks further straining transatlantic cooperation and diplomatic ties.