Italy’s foreign minister has abruptly canceled a planned trip to the United States after President Donald Trump sparked outrage by claiming Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni “begged” him for a photo.
The diplomatic blowup erupted after Trump told Italy’s La7 broadcaster that Meloni, one of his closest ideological allies in Europe, was desperate to be photographed with him during this week’s high-stakes G7 summit.
“She wanted a picture with me so badly,” Trump said. “I wouldn’t have taken it, but I felt sorry for her.”
The remark landed like a political grenade in Rome.
Antonio Tajani, Italy’s foreign minister, called Trump’s comments “serious and offensive” and said they were an insult not just to Meloni, but to “all of Italy.” Tajani had been scheduled to visit the U.S. on Sunday and Monday, but canceled the trip as the controversy escalated.
Meloni, who has often aligned with Trump on immigration and other right-wing priorities, wasted little time firing back.
In a blunt social media post, the Italian leader said she was “stunned” by Trump’s version of events and flatly denied that she had ever pleaded for a photo.
“Neither I nor Italy ever beg,” Meloni said.
The feud is especially striking because Meloni has long been viewed as one of Trump’s friendliest European partners. She was the only European head of government to attend his January 2025 inauguration, a move that underscored her close ties with the Trump world.
But that alliance now appears badly strained.
Relations between Washington and Rome have reportedly cooled as Trump has repeatedly lashed out at Europe over defense spending and questioned whether the continent is “heading in the right direction.” Meloni has also criticized the U.S. war against Iran, while Italian authorities have limited U.S. access to Italian bases for Middle East operations.
The latest dustup comes after another tense exchange earlier this year involving Pope Leo. Trump blasted the American-born pontiff after he criticized the war in Iran, calling him “WEAK on Crime, and terrible for Foreign Policy” in a Truth Social post.
Trump also claimed the pope’s rise to the Vatican had something to do with him.
“If I wasn’t in the White House, Leo wouldn’t be in the Vatican,” Trump said.
Meloni defended the pope’s right to condemn war, saying it was “right and normal” for the head of the Catholic Church to speak out. Trump responded by accusing the Italian leader of lacking “courage.”
By Friday, Meloni appeared visibly frustrated.
“I don’t know why the President of the United States behaves this way toward his allies; after all, it’s not the first time it’s happened,” she said in a brief video.
Giovanbattista Fazzolari, a senior Italian official, went even further, calling Trump’s comments “inappropriate” and warning that the president was damaging America’s relationship with Europe.
“It’s unclear whether by design or incompetence, he is ruining the historic relations between the United States and Europe,” Fazzolari said.
He added that Trump’s “inappropriate outbursts” had helped make the U.S. “loathed across the entire European continent,” hurting not only Europe, but America itself.
The clash adds to growing unease among U.S. allies over Trump’s foreign policy approach. His administration has repeatedly accused Europe of relying too heavily on American military power, while Trump has even threatened to take control of Greenland, part of NATO ally Denmark, by force.
For Democrats and Trump critics, the episode is likely to fuel a familiar argument: that the president’s personal insults and unpredictable comments are not just political theater, but a direct threat to America’s alliances.
For Italy, the message was simple and unmistakable.
Meloni may share parts of Trump’s worldview, but she made clear she will not accept being publicly humiliated by him.
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