Italy’s Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani has abruptly canceled a planned trip to Washington after President Donald Trump claimed Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni “begged” him for a photograph at the recent G7 summit — a remark Meloni has denounced as “completely fabricated” .
Tajani had been scheduled to travel to the United States on June 21–22 for meetings with Secretary of State Marco Rubio and to attend the Italy-US Business, Investment, Science and Innovation Forum in Miami. In announcing his cancellation on social media, Tajani called Trump’s remarks “serious and offensive” toward Meloni and said they “offend all of Italy”. Speaking later at an event in Rome, he declared that no one was permitted to offend Italy in such a manner.
What Trump Said
The controversy stems from a phone interview Trump gave to Italian television channel La7, which was broadcast Friday morning. According to a dubbed Italian translation provided by the broadcaster — the original English audio was not released — Trump claimed Meloni had been desperate for a photo opportunity with him at the G7 summit in Évian-les-Bains, France, which ran from June 15 to 17.
“She begged me to take a picture with her. She wanted a picture with me so badly. I wouldn’t have taken it, but I felt sorry for her,” Trump was quoted as saying. He also remarked: “She’s probably happy I talked to her. I didn’t have to talk to her”.
The La7 correspondent had initially asked Trump about Ukraine, but the president himself raised Meloni and steered the conversation toward their meeting.
Meloni’s Fierce Response
Meloni responded within hours with a sharply worded video posted on social media.
“Donald Trump’s statements are completely fabricated. I am frankly appalled,” she said. “I don’t know why the President of the United States behaves this way towards his allies; after all, it’s not the first time it’s happened”.
The Italian leader then delivered a pointed rebuke: “I can only say that it’s a shame he doesn’t show the same determination toward the enemies of the West, toward the enemies of the United States — toward leaders with whom he, on the other hand, is much more accommodating”. She concluded with a message that has since become a rallying cry across Italy: “There is one thing he must remember: Italy and I never beg”.
A Once-Close Alliance in Tatters
The diplomatic rupture marks a dramatic fall from grace for what was once a close political relationship. Meloni, elected in 2022, was the only European leader to attend Trump’s inauguration in January 2025 and had positioned herself as a potential “bridge” between Washington and the European Union.
But relations have frayed dramatically over multiple issues:
· The US war in Iran — Meloni has called the military campaign illegal and refused to back it
· Trump’s position on Ukraine — Italy strongly supports Kyiv
· Trump’s tariffs and strong US support for Israel over its war in Gaza
· Trump’s criticism of Pope Leo XIV — Meloni called his remarks “unacceptable”
In April, Trump hit back at Meloni in an interview with Italian daily Corriere della Sera, saying: “I thought she had courage, but I was wrong”. He also accused her of failing to help the United States with NATO and threatened to pull US troops from Italy.
Italy Rallies Behind Meloni
Solidarity with Meloni poured in from across Italy’s political spectrum Friday, including a call of support from President Sergio Mattarella, the country’s widely respected head of state.
Defense Minister Guido Crosetto said he did not believe Meloni would ever beg someone for a photo, “not even under threat”. “Jokes of this kind do no good to anyone: neither to the USA, nor to Italy, nor to the alliance,” he posted.
Transport Minister Matteo Salvini declared: “Whoever attacks Giorgia, attacks all of us”. Even opposition figures rallied to her defense, with Democratic Party senator Filippo Sensi saying no one had the right to speak to an Italian prime minister in such an arrogant tone.
Broader Implications
The incident underscores growing tensions between the Trump administration and European allies over foreign policy, trade, and basic diplomatic respect. Giovanbattista Fazzolari, undersecretary to the prime minister’s office, warned that Trump was “wrecking the historic relations between the United States and Europe”.
The White House had not responded to requests for comment at the time of publication. But the diplomatic damage was already done — a scheduled high-level visit scrapped, a public war of words between leaders of two NATO allies, and a stark reminder that even longstanding friendships in international politics can be fragile.
The G7 summit in Évian-les-Bains, France, took place from June 15 to 17, 2026.
