Donald Trump doubles down on Georgia Meloni after she denies his ‘begging for photo’ claim: ‘Asked over and over again’
president Donald Trump Italian Prime Minister reiterates his claim Georgia Meloni The Italian leader dismissed the claim as “completely fabricated” days after he repeatedly asked to be photographed with him during the G7 summit.
In a Truth Society post on Saturday, Trump stood by his previous remarks and launched new criticism of Meloni, further escalating a public dispute that has strained relations between the two leaders.
Trump wrote that Meloni asked “over and over again” to take a photo with him during the G7 summit in France. “Italian Prime Minister Giorgio Meloni asked over and over again to take a photo with me during the G7 meeting in France,” Trump wrote.
The US president also criticized Meloni’s handling of Italy’s relations with Washington, claiming she had rejected US demands for military action involving Iran.
“She won’t even let us use the runways or strips in Italy, which creates a huge logistical inconvenience,” Trump wrote. He further claimed, “After the United States defeated Iran militarily, she wanted to be friends again to boost her ‘numbers.'” No thanks! ! ! “
Meloni calls Trump account ‘complete fabrication’
Trump’s latest post follows comments he made during an interview with Italy’s La7 TV channel, in which he claimed Meloni “begged” him to take a photo during the interview. G7 summit At Evian-les-Bains.
“She begged me to take a picture with her. She wanted to take a picture with me so bad,” Trump said, according to a translated version of the interview. “I wouldn’t have accepted it, but I felt sorry for her.”
Meloni quickly denied the claim.
“Donald Trump’s remarks are completely fabricated. Frankly, I am surprised,” the Italian prime minister said in a statement. “I don’t know why the president of the United States would behave like this towards his ally,” she added, before asserting, “He should remember one thing: neither I nor Italy will beg.”
Italian officials condemn Trump’s comments
The dispute has expanded beyond the two leaders, with senior Italian government officials criticizing Trump’s comments.
After Trump’s remarks, Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani announced the cancellation of his planned visit to the United States.
“President Trump’s serious and offensive remarks about Prime Minister Giorgio Meloni have offended all of Italy,” Tajani wrote on X, adding that he had decided to cancel a planned trip to the United States.
Giovanbattista Fazzolari, a deputy minister in Meloni’s government, also criticized Trump, saying it was unclear whether the US president was damaging relations between the United States and Europe “out of intent or incompetence.”
Trump and Meloni were previously seen as close political allies, with Meloni becoming the only European leader to attend Trump’s 2025 inauguration.
