FLASH
Shkruar nga PamfletiIn response to Trump's statements, Giorgia Meloni posted a video on X yesterday in which she declared herself "surprised" by this "pure fabrication" by Donald Trump. She also accused the US president of acting with much more respect towards the enemies of the West than towards old traditional allies.
US President Donald Trump has reacted again to the clash with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni in a brief statement to the American television network NBC.
Trump says Meloni was a fanatical supporter of his, but now he doesn't even like her as a fan.
"Melon was a fanatical supporter of mine, but I don't want her as a fan because she didn't stand by me, neither she nor NATO when the issue of the Strait of Hormuz came up," the US president said.
Earlier, on Italian television channel La7, Trump had stated that the Italian prime minister asked him to take a photo with her at the G7 summit in Evian, France, and that he "felt sorry for her."
In response to Trump's statements, Giorgia Meloni posted a video on X yesterday in which she declared herself "surprised" by this "pure fabrication" by Donald Trump.
She also accused the US president of acting with far more respect towards the West's enemies than towards old, traditional allies.
"Donald Trump's statements are pure fiction. I am honestly surprised. I don't know why the president of the United States behaves like this towards his allies, moreover, it is not the first time," Meloni responded.
Io e l'Italia non imploriamo mai. pic.twitter.com/sTpKlqWB67
— Giorgia Meloni (@GiorgiaMeloni) June 19, 2026
“I can only say that it is disappointing that he does not show the same determination as the enemies of the West and the United States, whose leaders he treats with much more leniency,” Meloni said, adding that “There is one thing he should remember, neither I nor Italy ever beg him.”
Until the Iran war, Meloni and Trump were good friends, and the Italian prime minister was the only European leader invited to his inauguration last year. But the Italian government refused to give the United States permission to use an air base in Sicily to carry out strikes during the war. Trump accused Italy of not helping and said Meloni had changed.
The prime minister had also angered the president by defending Pope Leo XIV after Trump said the Pope was "soft on crime" and "destructive for foreign policy," following the Pope's criticism of the war.
Italian President Sides with Meloni
Italian President Sergio Mattarella has expressed solidarity with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni in a phone call with the head of government.
The Italian president's move is related to how US President Donald Trump described the head of the Italian government in a telephone conversation with the Italian television channel La7.
The tension began on the sidelines of the G7 Summit, where Trump and Meloni were seen chatting in a seemingly relaxed atmosphere. In an informal discussion with European leaders, the US president reportedly publicly teased the Italian prime minister, repeating the phrase "you abandoned me."
Meloni replied with a smile that "we've always been friends," trying to keep his tone low.
The situation, however, escalated when Trump, speaking to Italian network La7, claimed that Meloni had "begged" him for a photo during the Summit.
" She really wanted a picture with me. I wasn't obligated to take it, but I felt sorry for her ," the American president said.
Italian Transport Minister and Deputy Prime Minister, Matteo Salvini, also reacted to the situation.
"Whoever insults Georgia insults us all," he said.
"With all the war fronts that are open in the world, hopefully not for too long, it is unacceptable to have verbal clashes with allies and friends who have always proven to be reliable. Italy and its government do not beg anyone," the League stressed in an official statement.
Italian Defense Minister Guido Crosetto, commenting on the diplomatic incident, said that statements of this kind do no good to anyone, neither Italy, nor the United States, nor the alliance.
"I can't imagine Giorgia Meloni begging someone to take a photo, not even under threat. I can imagine, on the contrary, how much it cost her to put aside what Trump had said a few days ago, to take care of the interests of Italy, Europe and the West. And I imagine how much it will cost her not to comment, as she should, on this new mistake by the American president. The term mistake, of course, in this case constitutes an indirect and objective recognition. What hurts is that statements of this kind do no good to anyone, neither Italy, nor the United States, nor the alliance."
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