Trump reiterates Meloni asked ‘over and over’ for picture with him, claims Italian PM’s popularity level falling at home

Washington: A once-close political partnership between US President Donald Trump and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has erupted into a public feud after Trump claimed the Italian leader repeatedly sought a photograph with him at the G7 summit in France, an allegation Meloni has forcefully rejected.

The latest exchange marked a sharp deterioration in ties between the two leaders, who had long been viewed as ideological allies on issues including immigration and national sovereignty.

In a post on Truth Social, Trump renewed comments he first made in a telephone interview with Italy’s La7 television network, accusing Meloni of seeking publicity from her association with him.

“Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni asked, over and over, for a picture with me during the G-7 meeting in France,” Trump wrote.

Trump suggested Meloni’s actions were linked to domestic politics, saying she was “doing poorly in Italy with her level of popularity”.

He also criticised her stance on Iran, writing that she had “turned down the United States of America, a country that truly loves and protects Italy, when it came to denying Iran from obtaining or developing a nuclear weapon”.

Trump further alleged that Rome “wouldn’t even let us use Italy’s landing strips or runways, a great logistical inconvenience”, despite what he described as substantial US contributions towards the defence of Italy and other NATO allies.

“Now, after the United States defeated Iran militarily, she wants to be friends again in order to get her ‘numbers up.’ No thanks!!!” Trump wrote.

The comments echoed remarks made during Trump’s interview with La7 following the G7 gathering in France.

Asked about his interaction with Meloni during the summit, Trump said: “She’s probably glad I spoke to her! I wasn’t obliged to speak to her!”

He then added: “I don’t know what to tell you! She begged me to take a picture with her! She wanted a photo with me so badly, I might not have done it otherwise, but I felt sorry for her!”

Meloni responded publicly to the earlier remarks, rejecting Trump’s characterisation of their meeting and accusing him of targeting allies.

“The statements by Donald Trump are completely invented. They are frankly astonishing. I don’t know why the president of the United States behaves like this with his own allies,” she said.

She added: “It’s a shame that he doesn’t have the same determination toward the enemies of the West, the enemies of the United States, toward whose leadership he instead shows himself to be more accommodating.”

In her strongest rebuke, Meloni said: “I and Italy never beg.”

The dispute has also taken a toll on the diplomatic engagement between Washington and Rome.

The State Department had announced this week that Secretary of State Marco Rubio will travel to Miami on June 22 to participate in the Italy-US Business, Investment, Science and Innovation Forum. According to the department, Rubio was supposed to meet Italian Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani to advance bilateral cooperation on economic security and critical minerals.

However, Tajani on Friday announced the cancellation of his planned visit to Miami over Trump’s “offensive” comments on Meloni.

“The serious and offensive words of President Trump towards Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni offend all of Italy. For this reason, I have decided to cancel my visit to the United States scheduled for the next 21 and 22 June,” Tajani wrote on X.

Trump and Meloni had until recently maintained one of the warmest relationships between the US President and a major European leader. Meloni was often described as one of Trump’s closest political allies in Europe, and the two leaders frequently exchanged public praise.

IANS