Outrage in Italy after Trump says Meloni ‘begged’ for photo op

ROME: Italy reacted angrily on Friday after reported comments by US President Donald Trump mocking Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, with the foreign minister cancelling a planned US visit.

Meloni said she was “frankly stunned” by Trump’s comments to Italian channel La7.

According to a written transcript of the phone interview provided to AFP by the network, he said Meloni “begged me for a picture” at the G7 summit this week and he agreed only because he “felt sorry for her”.

He also suggested that Meloni was probably “happy that I talked to her, I didn’t have to talk to her”.

Meloni called what Trump said “made up”, adding: “Neither I nor Italy ever beg.”

“I don’t know why the president of the United States behaves this way with his own allies,” the far-right leader said in a video on X.

“I can only say that it’s a pity he doesn’t show the same determination with enemies of the West, with enemies of the United States, with leaders with whom, instead, he is far more accommodating,” she said.

Italian foreign minister Antonio Tajani on X called Trump’s words “grave and offensive” and said he was cancelling a visit to the US planned for June 21 and 22.

The state department confirmed in a statement that the business conference set to be attended by Tajani and secretary of state Marco Rubio in Miami had been cancelled.

Justice minister Carlo Nordio said the comments were a “painful injury” to Italy-US ties, while defence minister Guido Crosetto said “these jokes do not benefit anyone”.

‘Shocked at her’

At the end of the G7 summit in Evian on Wednesday, Meloni had spoken of a “very positive climate” and “no friction” between Trump and other world leaders present.

But she also said she and Trump both had “quite strong characters”. She was seen several times with the US president at the summit including a meeting on a sofa after which he appeared to pat her shoulder.

Meloni has tried to position herself as a bridge between Europe and the Trump administration, but the relationship came under strain during the Middle East war.

Trump turned on Meloni in April after she defended Pope Leo XIV from the US president’s harsh criticism of the pontiff’s anti-war views.

Meloni condemned Trump’s remarks as “unacceptable” – prompting the president to turn his fire on her.

“I’m shocked at her. I thought she had courage, but I was wrong,” the US president said in an interview with Italian daily Corriere della Sera at the time.

He accused Meloni of failing to help the United States with Nato.

Trump has threatened to pull US troops from Italy, saying Rome “has not been of any help to us” in the Iran war.