Italy has reacted with anger after US President Donald Trump made comments that Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni “begged me for a photo” at the G7 summit.
Meloni took to social media on Friday to set the record straight, saying she was “frankly shocked” after Trump made the comments on Italian channel La 7.
Meloni says Trump has fabricated photo story
“Some things deserve immediate answers. Donald Trump’s declarations are a complete fabrication,” Meloni said in a video statement posted on Twitter.
Meloni said, “I’m frankly shocked. I don’t know why the American President behaves like this towards his own colleagues, after all, this is not the first time this has happened.”
She said, “I can only say that it is a shame that he does not share the same resolve toward the enemies of the West, the enemies of the United States, leaders with whom he is far more friendly.”
The Italian Prime Minister said, “But this is one thing they must remember, Italy and I do not beg.”
Due to this case, Italy’s top diplomat Antonio Tajani had to cancel his proposed visit to America on June 21 and 22.
“President Trump’s serious and offensive words towards Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni hurt all of Italy,” Tajani said on X.
“For this reason, I have decided to cancel my visit to the United States, scheduled for next June 21 and 22,” the foreign minister wrote.
A business conference in Miami that was scheduled to include Tajani and Secretary of State Marco Rubio has been canceled, according to the US State Department.
What Trump is reported to have said
Trump claimed that earlier in the week, at the G7 summit, Meloni “begged me for a picture.”
The American leader said he agreed only because he “felt sorry for her.”
Trump made the comments in a telephone interview broadcast Friday morning. Broadcaster La7 has a dubbed version of the interview online and not the original audio.
At the end of the summit in France, Meloni said there was “no friction” with Trump and other world leaders and spoke of a “very positive atmosphere”.
The Italian leader was photographed several times talking to Trump, including one instance when she sat next to Trump on a couch.
Meloni has positioned himself in the past as a bridge between Europe and the Trump administration, but relations appear to be deteriorating.
Trump’s comments about the conflict in the Middle East and Pope Leo XIV’s anti-war stance have prompted the Italian leader to speak out against the US president.
Edited by: Shawn Sinico
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