Donald Trump savages Italys leader after she | Political News

Donald Trump has doubled down on a declare that Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni repeatedly sought a picture with him at the G7 summit in France, launching a scathing assault after she disputed his account.

“Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni asked, over and over, for a picture with me during the G-7 meeting in France,” Trump posted on his Truth Social platform Saturday morning, before criticizing Meloni for failing to help his stance against Iran.

“She is doing poorly in Italy with her level of popularity, possibly because she turned down the United States of America, a Country that truly loves and protects Italy, when it came to denying Iran from obtaining or developing a Nuclear Weapon (But so did NATO, for that matter!),” Trump raged.

“She wouldn’t even let us use Italy’s landing strips or runways, a great logistical inconvenience, and this despite the fact the U.S. contributes hundreds of Billions of Dollars a year to protect Italy, and other ‘so-called’ NATO Allies. Now, after the United States defeated Iran militarily, she wants to be friends again in order to get her ‘numbers up.’ No thanks! ! !” the president continued.

Italy PM ‘astonished’ by ‘fully made up’ declare

Trump had initially made the declare in an interview with Italian media, alleging that Meloni had “begged” him for a {photograph} during the Evian-les-Bains summit. “She’s probably happy I talked to her. I didn’t have to talk to her,” he told La7.

“She begged me to take a picture with her. She wanted a picture with me so badly,” Trump said, according to the interpretation. “I wouldn’t have taken it, but I felt sorry for her.”

Upon studying of these remarks, Meloni issued a assertion saying she was “astonished” and calling the account “completely made up.”

The prime minister also took issue with the president for displaying better respect toward Western adversaries than toward allies who have established trusted partnerships with the U.S.

“Donald Trump‘s statements are fully made up. I’m frankly astonished,” Meloni said. “I don’t ‌know why ⁠the president of the United States behaves like this toward his allies: it is not the first time, moreover.”

“I can only say it is disappointing that he does not show the same determination with the enemies of the West and of the United States, whose leaders he instead treats with far greater indulgence,” she said.

“There is one thing he should remember: neither I nor Italy ever beg.”

Italy official cancels U.S. journey in retaliation

Video footage from the convention exhibits the 2 right-wing leaders in what appeared to be an animated dialogue while seated together on a small sofa, confirming they did meet. In the wake of Meloni’s assertion, Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani announced he had canceled his scheduled U.S. journey next week.

Taking to X to announce the cancelation of his journey, Tajani also roundly condemned the president’s remarks, characterizing them as a direct insult to Italy. “The serious and offensive words of President Trump towards Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni offend all of Italy,” Tajani wrote.

“For this reason, I have decided to cancel my visit to the United States scheduled for the next 21 and 22 June,” he added. Another senior member of Meloni’s administration also weighed in with sharp criticism of Trump’s statements.

“It is unclear whether out ⁠of intent or ineptitude (Trump) is wrecking the historic relations between the United States and Europe,” undersecretary Giovanbattista Fazzolari – who sometimes shuns media consideration – said in a assertion. “With his inappropriate outbursts, he has managed no easy feat, to make the United States unpopular across the entire European continent, damaging not ⁠only Europe but above all the United States.”

Prior to Trump’s feedback, Meloni and the Republican president had been regarded as close political allies, with the Italian Prime Minister being the only European leader to attend his 2025 inauguration. However, relations between the 2 started to bitter when Trump launched an assault on Pope Leo.