Overview
- President Donald Trump repeated and amplified personal attacks on Giorgia Meloni on Saturday by posting on Truth and giving televised interviews in which he said she repeatedly sought a G7 photo and accused her of trying to boost her popularity.
- Meloni immediately rejected the claims as invented, published a video and an Instagram reply saying Italy does not 'implore' anyone and telling Trump to focus on his own popularity.
- The dispute produced concrete diplomatic moves from Rome: Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani cancelled a scheduled U.S. visit, President Sergio Mattarella phoned Meloni, and the government first pulled out of a U.S. business forum before allowing ministers to attend the embassy’s July 4 reception.
- The row rests on deeper policy disputes over the Strait of Hormuz, the denied use of the Sigonella base for U.S. operations and earlier disagreements over comments about the Pope, giving the spat strategic weight for defence cooperation and basing.
- Meloni’s social media reach jumped past 7 million Instagram followers, Italian politicians across the spectrum reacted with mixed messages, and both leaders are due to meet at the NATO summit on July 7–8 — a likely moment to repair or deepen the rupture.