In brief
At the G7 summit in Evian, France, Trump criticized Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni on Truth Social for allegedly asking him “over and over” to take a photo together. He also blamed her for hindering U.S. efforts to prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons by barring U.S. air units at Sigonella. Meloni rebutted the claims, calling herself “stunned” and insisting that she never begged. The feud underscores a growing rift between Italy and the United States amid recent U.S. military actions against Iran.
Former U.S. President Donald Trump took to Truth Social on June 20 to launch a salvo against Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni. In a post, Trump repeated that she asked him “over and over” for a photo at the G7 summit, claiming she “begged” to have one taken.
Trump added that the Italian leader was undermining U.S. efforts to deny Iran the acquisition of nuclear weapons and that she had created a “logistical inconvenience” by preventing U.S. aircraft from using Italian air facilities for operations in Iran.
Meloni, who had spent time alongside President Trump in January 2025 at his inauguration, later responded on Instagram, stating she was “frankly stunned” by the assertions. She said she had never “begged” and that the accusations were “unacceptable.”
In addition to the photo dispute, Trump had earlier accused Pope Leo XIV of being weak on crime and described the Vatican’s foreign policy as “terrible.” Meloni condemned those remarks.
The spat has highlighted a sharpening divide between Italy and the United States in the aftermath of Trump’s military action against Iran this year, including Italy’s refusal to allow U.S. jets to land at Sigonella air base in Sicily. Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani even cancelled a planned trip to the U.S. in early‑next week.
