Italy's Meloni says Trump 'totally invented' story that she begged him for photo
- Jun 19
- 2 min read
RIYADH, June 19 (Saudi Arabia Breaking News) - Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni accused U.S. President Donald Trump of fabricating a story about her after he claimed she had “begged” him to take a photo with her at a G7 summit, Reuters reported.
Meloni said she was “astonished” by Trump’s comments, calling them “completely made up.”
The exchange marks a sharp deterioration in relations between the two leaders, coming days after the G7 summit appeared to show a more stable relationship following earlier tensions over the war on Iran.
Trump told Italian broadcaster La7 that Meloni had wanted a photo with him “so badly” and said he had spoken to her because he “felt sorry for her,” according to the channel’s translation.
La7 did not release the original audio and aired only a dubbed version.
Meloni responded in a sharply worded statement, saying she did not know why the U.S. president behaved this way toward allies.
She also criticized Trump for what she described as greater indulgence toward the enemies of the West than toward established allies.
“One thing he should remember: neither I nor Italy ever beg,” Meloni said.
Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani later announced that he was cancelling a planned visit to the United States next week.
“The serious and offensive words of President Trump towards Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni offended the whole of Italy,” Tajani said on X.
Giovanbattista Fazzolari, undersecretary to the prime minister’s office and one of Meloni’s close political allies, also criticized Trump, saying his remarks were damaging relations between the United States and Europe.
Meloni was the only European leader to attend Trump’s inauguration in 2025 and had previously been viewed as a close ally of the U.S. president.
Source: Reuters
