Overview
- An Italian TV channel, La7, published a written transcript on Friday reporting President Trump said Giorgia Meloni had "supplied" or "supplicated" him for a photo at the G7 and that he felt "pity" for her.
- Giorgia Meloni posted a video on X calling the account "totally invented" and senior members of her government publicly defended her.
- Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani cancelled a planned Washington visit for June 21–22 and an Italy‑U.S. business conference in Miami was also called off, signaling concrete diplomatic fallout.
- Verification of the remarks is limited because La7 released only a transcript and no audio record, yet Trump reiterated the account on his platform on Saturday, intensifying the dispute.
- The episode follows April tensions over Italy's refusal to support U.S. action on Iran and could complicate NATO logistics, bilateral meetings and cooperation in the coming weeks.