Italian minister cancels US visit after Trump photo claim draws rebuke
Giorgia Meloni said Donald Trump fabricated a story about her seeking a G7 photo, prompting Italy’s foreign minister to scrap a US trip.
By Lucas Ferreira · Science & Environment Writer
3 min read
Italy’s foreign minister canceled a planned trip to the United States after Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni accused US President Donald Trump of inventing a claim that she had pleaded for a photograph with him at this week’s G7 summit in France. The dispute is a sharp public break between two leaders who have previously been seen as politically close, according to Al Jazeera and The Associated Press.
The row centers on comments Trump reportedly made to Italy’s La7 television network. The broadcaster released only an Italian-dubbed version of the interview, not the original English audio, according to Al Jazeera and AP.
Trump reportedly told La7 that Meloni was “probably happy” he had spoken with her and said he “didn’t have to talk to her.” He was also quoted as saying, “She begged me to take a picture with her. She wanted a picture with me so badly. I wouldn’t have taken it, but I felt sorry for her.”
Meloni rejects Trump’s account
Meloni responded Friday in a video, saying “certain things deserve an immediate response.” She called Trump’s statements “completely fabricated” and said she was “frankly stunned.”
“I don’t know why the president of the United States behaves this way toward his own allies,” Meloni said in the video. “After all, this isn’t the first time this has happened.”
Meloni, the head of a far-right party that campaigned on an anti-immigrant platform, had long been viewed as one of Trump’s most supportive counterparts in Europe, according to Al Jazeera and AP. She met Trump at his Mar-a-Lago estate after his 2024 election victory and attended his inauguration in January 2025.
The two leaders have since split over several issues during Trump’s second term, according to Al Jazeera and AP. Those include support for Ukraine during Russia’s invasion, the US-Israeli war with Iran, Trump’s threats to seize Greenland from Denmark and his criticism of Pope Leo.
In her video, Meloni said it was a “shame” Trump had not shown “the same resolve toward the enemies of the West, toward the enemies of the United States” as he had shown in his comments about her. She accused him of being “much more accommodating” toward adversaries than allies.
“But there’s one thing he must remember: Italy and I do not beg,” Meloni said.
Tajani scraps weekend trip
Shortly after Meloni released the video, Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said he was canceling a weekend visit to the US, according to Al Jazeera and AP. Tajani had been due to attend a business forum in Miami and meet US Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
Tajani described Trump’s reported remarks as “serious and offensive.” Other Italian officials also criticized the comments.
Justice Minister Carlo Nordio wrote on X that Trump’s remarks had damaged the memory of US soldiers who died in World War II. “The thousands of crosses marking the graves of American soldiers who died to free us from Nazi-Fascist dictatorship did not deserve such a painful blow to our fraternal ties,” Nordio said.
Defence Minister Guido Crosetto said he did not believe Meloni would beg for a photo “not even under threat.” He added that “jokes of this kind do no good to anyone: neither to the USA, nor to Italy, nor to the alliance.”
The White House did not immediately respond to Meloni’s comments, according to Al Jazeera and AP.
This story draws on original reporting from Al Jazeera.