Posted on 06/19/2026 7:36:56 AM PDT by dennisw
Giorgia Meloni has said she was left 'stunned' after Donald Trump mocked her over a photo taken at the G7, claiming the Italian PM had been desperate to pose with him.
Italy's foreign minister Antonio Tajani scrapped a June 21 trip to Washington in protest, writing on X that the 'grave and offensive words of President Trump ... offend the whole of Italy.'
Trump told Italian TV channel La7 that Meloni 'wanted a picture with me so badly' at this week's summit in France and that he agreed only because he 'felt sorry for her.'
He went further in the comments broadcast Friday morning, suggesting Meloni might be 'happy that I talked to her, I didn't have to talk to her.'
Meloni replied immediately from a European Union summit in Brussels, trashing Trump's 'made up' account and firing back: '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 right-wing leader said in a video posted to Instagram, adding it was 'a pity he doesn't show the same determination with enemies of the West.'
'After all, this isn't the first time this has happened,' she said, an apparent reference to an interview Trump gave to Italian paper Corriere della Sera in April criticizing her refusal to back the Iran war. Meloni did not respond publicly at the time.
The blow-up shatters the image Meloni built as Europe's bridge to Trump, a relationship already pushed to the brink by the Middle East war and by her defense of Pope Leo XIV against the president's attacks.
Trump has since threatened to pull US troops from Italy, claiming Rome 'has not been of any help to us' in the Iran war.
US tariffs, its staunch support of Israel over its war in Gaza, as well as Trump's reluctance to assist Ukraine amid the Russian invasion have also frayed relations.
Italy's Defense Minister Guido Crosetto also rebuked Trump, saying he didn't believe Meloni would ever beg someone for a photo, 'not even under threat.'
'I can, however, imagine how much it cost her to set aside what Trump had said weeks ago, to serve the interests of Italy, of Europe, and of the West,' Crosetto posted on X.
'Jokes of this kind do no good to anyone: neither to the USA, nor to Italy, nor to the alliance.'
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Why? She’s an ally. What’s the point?
Why? She’s an ally. What’s the point?
You mean the ally who wouldn’t let us use their airspace? That...ally?
So insulting them is going to get what we want? It’s called diplomacy for a reason. That “call for help” was after Trump and his admin threatened to invade Greenland, etc. Be careful what you wish for. You might get it.
She tells Trump to Fuck Off, keep outta our airspace with your filthy war. Then she gets all 7th grade flirt trying to catch his eye at the G7. Floozy. Trump doesn’t appreciate the disrespect.
How does it feel to be on Trump’s sh@tlist Melonie? Maybe you should have allowed the US to use our bases in Italy. Just saying.
Wrong. They are Italian bases. They let the US use them. China would be happy to have them instead. Just saying.
I checked with Gemini. Basically there was simmering tension between the two over her non support for the Iran war. And Trump’s previous criticism of the Pope. Trump took the interview opportunity to take a dig at her in true Trumpian (exaggerated) style, “begged”, and that’s how it got started.
Trump is very good at alienating his friends. Truly stupid, insulting comment and totally unnecessary!
Back in the real world...As far as insult, I saw none, he said she was begging for a photo PR moment with him and he felt sorry for her, not a personal attack on her character. From what we saw and heard from the G7 coverage, I don't believe he is far off.
She’s still chasing Trump. Using the news trying to bring attention to herself by linking herself to him in a headline.
She recognizes his importance. She is trying to bask in the limelight.
Then do it.
Well, she didn’t have much to say when Italy refused to allow us to land B52’s at our base there. Trump is basically pizzed off at these unloyal Aholes. I don’t care what kind of snark he throws their way. I wish be had skipped the G7. They brought Zelensky. I wish Trump had brought Putin. 😄
She was/is facing domestic political pressure for being too close to Trump. Especially after all the Greenland nonsense Trump is political poison in Europe these days. But then that’s what Trump apparently wants for his domestic politics so happy days.
“Trump took the interview opportunity to take a dig at her in true Trumpian (exaggerated) style, “begged”, and that’s how it got started.”
Begged ...lol...lol...lol... Most entertaining President ever! It will be like slavery if someone like Governor Gruesome gets in.
What you said. He can be an ass.
He does not understand or care that all of his power is referred and conferred.
They did. Denied base access. No plan. No allies. Are we tired of losing yet?
You sure about that?
Do you know the context of this situation?? It’s not reported, so we have zero idea of what might have led up to this “earth shattering” event. She may have misinterpreted this or overreacted emotionally...
He needs to STFU sometime.....LOTS OF TIMES! MOST OF TIMES!!
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