Overview
- President Donald Trump told an Italian TV interviewer that Giorgia Meloni “begged” him for a photo at the G7 in Évian, saying he agreed because he felt sorry for her.
- Meloni denied the account on her X (formerly Twitter) page, calling the claim “completely invented” and saying she was stunned by the president’s words.
- Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani cancelled a planned trip to the United States scheduled for June 21–22 in protest and called Trump’s comments “serious and insulting.”
- Politicians across Italy’s political spectrum publicly condemned the remarks as an affront to the prime minister and to the nation, deepening domestic pressure on Meloni’s government to respond.
- The row adds a personal edge to earlier policy friction over the Iran conflict, including Italy’s refusal to allow U.S. use of a Sicilian air base, and could affect future security cooperation and high‑level visits.