The public feud between US President Donald Trump and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni escalated on Saturday, with the Italian PM delivering a sharp response after Trump renewed claims that she repeatedly asked him for a photograph during the recent G7 summit.Taking to Instagram the Italian Prime Minister wrote, “President Trump, these constant, unprovoked attacks are senseless. As for my popularity, being your friend certainly has not helped it, nor does it depend on my relationship with you. My popularity depends on my ability to defend Italy’s national interest, and that is exactly what I have always done.”She also rejected Trump’s criticism over military cooperation, saying: “That is also what I did regarding the American military bases in Italy. Their use is governed by agreements that we have always respected, and that cannot be violated as long as I am Prime Minister. Italy remains a sovereign nation.”“In any case, my popularity is none of your concern. I suggest you focus on yours,” she wrote.
The dispute began after Trump told Italian broadcaster La7 that Meloni had “begged” him for a photograph during the G7 gathering in France. Meloni quickly rejected the allegation, describing it as “completely made up” and insisting: “There is one thing he should remember: neither I nor Italy ever beg.”Also read: Trump repeats Meloni asked for photo ‘over and over’ at G7Trump escalated the row on Saturday through a post on Truth Social, claiming Meloni had requested a picture with him “over and over” during the summit. He also argued that her popularity in Italy had suffered because she refused to support US military operations linked to the conflict with Iran.“Italian Prime Minister Gigiorgia Meloni asked, over and over, for a picture with me during the G-7 meeting in France,” Trump wrote. He added that she was “doing poorly in Italy with her level of popularity” and suggested her stance on Iran had damaged public support.Trump further criticised Italy’s refusal to allow the United States unrestricted access to Italian landing strips and runways during the Iran war, calling it “a great logistical inconvenience”. He claimed that, following the US-backed agreement with Iran, Meloni now wanted to repair relations with Washington “in order to get her ‘numbers up’.”The dispute has already had diplomatic consequences. Italy’s foreign minister cancelled a planned visit to the United States as members of Meloni’s government rallied behind her. The latest exchange marks a dramatic deterioration in relations between two leaders who were once regarded as close political allies. Meloni, who attended Trump’s inauguration in 2025 and was long viewed as one of his strongest supporters in Europe, has increasingly distanced herself from the US president in recent months.