Trump opens a new rift with Meloni by claiming she 'begged' him for a G7 photo
Key takeaways
- US President Donald Trump opened a new rift with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni by claiming that she begged him for a photo during the G7 summit and that he obliged out of pity.
- The remarks came in an interview broadcast on Friday by the Italian network La7.
- Meloni responded immediately with a recorded video message.
Why this matters: an international story with cross-border implications worth tracking.
US President Donald Trump opened a new rift with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni by claiming that she begged him for a photo during the G7 summit and that he obliged out of pity. Meloni called the account fabricated, and in response Italy's foreign minister canceled a planned trip to the United States this weekend.
The remarks came in an interview broadcast on Friday by the Italian network La7. Although the journalist had asked about Ukraine, it was Trump who brought up Meloni and referred to the meeting the two had held at the summit. She wanted a photo with me so badly. I wouldn't have taken it, but I felt sorry for her, the president said, adding: She's probably happy I talked to her; I didn't have to. The network released only a version dubbed into Italian and did not publish the original audio of the conversation.
Meloni responded immediately with a recorded video message. Donald Trump's statements are completely fabricated. Frankly, I'm stunned, she said, and reproached her counterpart for his treatment of allies: It's a shame he doesn't show the same resolve toward the enemies of the West, toward leaders with whom he is much more accommodating. The prime minister concluded: There is something he should remember: neither I nor Italy ever begs.