Meloni and Trump Clash Over G7 Photo Incident

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni quickly responded to former U.S. President Donald Trump’s claim that she had “begged” for a photo at the recent Group of Seven summit. Meloni stated that it was “totally fabricated,” asserting, “I and Italy never beg.” The incident occurred when Trump told Italian broadcaster La7 that Meloni had pleaded for a photo during the G7 meeting in Evian-les-Bains, France.

Trump remarked, “She begged me to take a photo with her. She wanted a photo with me so badly—I could have skipped it, but I felt sorry for her.” Meloni, visibly irritated, responded by questioning Trump’s respect for Western allies in comparison to their adversaries. “I don’t know why the president of the United States behaves this way with his own allies,” she said, recalling a previous interview where Trump criticized her stance on the U.S.-Israeli war against Iran. Meloni had not publicly addressed those comments at the time.

The disagreement quickly intensified. Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani called Trump’s comments “serious” and offensive to Italy, announcing the cancellation of his planned visit to the U.S. the following week.

At the G7 summit, video footage showed Meloni and Trump engaged in a lengthy conversation while seated on a small sofa. Trump later portrayed the interaction as something he granted. “She’s probably happy I talked to her. I didn’t have to talk to her,” Trump remarked in the interview after bringing up the topic himself.

The interview was only released in a dubbed version without the original audio. Another summit video showed Meloni gesturing animatedly while Trump listened without much visible reaction.

Meloni was once seen as one of Trump’s closest allies in Europe, having attended his inauguration in January 2025 as the only European leader present. Trump previously expressed admiration for Meloni when they met at his Mar-a-Lago resort, describing her as a “fantastic woman” making waves in Europe with her right-wing populist Brothers of Italy party.

This recent conflict signifies a marked downturn in their relationship. Earlier in the year, Meloni had criticized Trump for his attack on Pope Leo XIV, which had exposed divisions and strained their formerly strong political partnership.