Trump attacks Italy's Meloni after dispute over G7 photo claim

US President Donald Trump has lashed out at Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni on Truth Social, reiterating his claim that she asked "over and over" for a picture together at the G7 summit in France. Trump also accused her of not backing US efforts to "deny Iran from obtaining or developing a nuclear weapon."

Trump said Meloni caused "a great logistical inconvenience" by barring the US from using Italian air facilities for American military operations in Iran. On Friday, Meloni said she was astonished by Trump's initial claim that she "begged" for a photo. In his post, Trump added that Meloni is "doing poorly in Italy with her level of popularity" and that after the US defeated Iran militarily, she wants to be friends again to boost her ratings.

In March, Italy reportedly denied US military aircraft from landing at Sigonella air base in Sicily for operations against Iran. The exchange highlights a developing rift between the two countries since Trump's military action against Iran. Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani has also cancelled a trip to the US.

Trump and Meloni were pictured in close conversation at the G7, and Meloni later told reporters their relationship was unchanged. However, soon afterward, Trump gave a phone interview to Italy's La7 TV channel claiming: "She begged me to take a photo with her; I felt sorry for her." La7 did not produce Trump's original words in English but voiced them over in Italian.

Responding, Meloni said in an Instagram video she was "frankly stunned." "I don't know why the US president behaves this way towards allies," she said, adding it was not the first time. "I can only say it is regrettable he does not show the same determination towards the enemies of the West and towards the enemies of the US - [enemies] whose leaders he instead appears to be far more accommodating with. But there is one thing he needs to remember: neither I nor Italy ever beg."

The leaders also clashed earlier this year after Trump accused Pope Leo XIV of being "WEAK on Crime and terrible for Foreign Policy." Meloni later called the comments "unacceptable." Despite tensions, Meloni was the sole European leader to attend Trump's inauguration in January 2025.