Italian leader Giorgia Meloni vehemently contested this Friday (19) the allegations of Donald Trump, who stated in an interview with Italian television that she had “begged” to pose for a photograph with him during the G7 summit.
In his appearance on TV La7, after questioning the reporter about the country’s prime minister, Trump declared: “She begged me for a photo. She really wanted a photo with me. I wouldn’t do that, but I felt sorry for her.”
Meloni expressed “surprise” at the comments, assuring that the statements are “entirely fabricated”. The prime minister also criticized the former American president for showing more respect to Western adversaries than to allied nations.
“Donald Trump’s statements are completely untrue. I feel, frankly, surprised. I don’t know why the former president of the United States adopts such behavior towards his partners: moreover, this is not the first occurrence. I can only say that it is frustrating that he does not show the same firmness towards his adversaries from the West and the United States, whose leaders are treated with much more complacency. There is something he needs to remember: neither I, nor Italy, have ever asked for alms”, he declared.
Images from the G7 summit, held in France, recorded Meloni and Trump in an intense dialogue, sitting side by side on a small seat. The former American president insinuated that he had done her a favor by interacting with her.
Impact of Trump’s statements on Italian diplomacy
In response to the comments, Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani canceled a trip to the United States that was scheduled for the following week.
“Former President Trump’s serious and disrespectful expressions directed at Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni insult the entire Italian nation,” the minister published on platform X.
Giovanbattista Fazzolari, undersecretary of the prime minister’s office and one of her closest political collaborators, also issued a statement. He criticized Trump’s behavior, stating that, “with his untimely outbursts”, the former president “made the United States unpopular throughout Europe, harming not only the continent, but mainly the United States itself.”
Previous friction between Giorgia Meloni and Donald Trump
In April, Donald Trump and Giorgia Meloni, previously considered close allies, began publicly exchanging barbs.
Meloni reprimanded Trump after the former American president described Pope Leo
Trump’s reaction came the next day. In conversation with the Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera, he declared himself “shocked” by the Italian ruler’s attitude and expressed the belief that she lacked courage.
“She is no longer the same person, and Italy will never be the same country again.”
However, despite the incident involving Pope Leo XIV, the divergence between Trump and Meloni had already begun months before.
Experts consulted by The New York Times suggest that the prime minister capitalized on the occasion to demonstrate to the Italian electorate a distance from the former North American president. This move is strategic in a context where European nationalist leaders, like Meloni, seek to moderate their image and consolidate support in a post-Trump political scenario, where alliances with polarizing figures can have electoral costs. This departure occurs amid surveys that indicate a growing unpopularity of both politicians among voters in Italy.