The Italian prime minister, Giorgia Meloni, has told Donald Trump to “focus on your own popularity” after the US president mocked her polling numbers and accused her of begging for a photograph at the G7 summit – the latest salvo in a deepening transatlantic rift.
Trump, in a series of posts on his Truth Social platform, claimed Meloni had asked “over and over” for the photo at the three-day gathering in Evian, France, this week. He initially misspelled her name as “Gigiorgia” before correcting himself.
“Meloni tells Trump to 'focus on your own popularity' after he said she begged for a G7 photo.”
“She is doing poorly in Italy with her level of popularity,” Trump wrote, blaming Italy and what he called “other ‘so-called’ NATO Allies” for not providing military support during the US-Israeli bombing campaign against Iran. “Now, after the United States defeated Iran militarily, she wants to be friends again in order to get her ‘numbers up.’ No thanks!!!”
Meloni hit back sharply on Instagram, writing: “These constant, unprovoked attacks are senseless. As for my popularity, being your friend has certainly not helped it, nor does it depend on my relationship with you. My popularity is none of your concern. I suggest you focus on yours.”
The row began on Friday, when Trump told Italian television channel La7 that Meloni had “begged” him for the photo. “She’s probably happy I talked to her,” he said. Meloni responded in an Instagram video, saying she was “frankly stunned” and that Trump’s statements were “completely made up”. “There is one thing he needs to remember: neither I nor Italy ever beg,” she said.
The prime minister received support from across the Italian political spectrum as the dispute escalated. Trump also repeated his accusation that Meloni had caused “a great logistical inconvenience” by barring the US from using Italian air facilities for American military operations in Iran. Meloni retorted that the use of Italian bases “is governed by agreements that we have always respected, and that cannot be violated as long as I am prime minister.”
The fallout has been swift. Italian foreign minister Antonio Tajani cancelled a trip to the US scheduled for early next week, and other Italian ministers reportedly will not attend US Independence Day celebrations in Rome. Meloni, once a close ally of Trump and the only European leader to attend his 2025 inauguration, now finds herself locked in a public feud that shows no sign of abating. According to the Italian daily La Repubblica, Meloni told colleagues in Brussels that she was convinced the dispute was not over.