Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni on Friday accused U.S. President Donald Trump of fabricating a story about her after he claimed in an interview with an Italian television channel that she had "begged" him to take a photograph with her during the recent G7 summit.
Meloni said she was "astonished" by Trump's remarks and described them as "completely made up". She also criticised the U.S. president for showing greater leniency towards America's adversaries than towards its long-standing allies.
The sharp exchange marks a significant deterioration in relations between the two leaders, who appeared to have repaired ties in recent days following earlier disagreements over the Iran conflict.
Highlighting the growing diplomatic tensions, Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani announced that he was cancelling a planned visit to the United States next week.
The controversy stems from comments Trump allegedly made in an interview with Italy's La7 television channel. Referring to Meloni, Trump reportedly said she was happy he had spoken to her and claimed she had been eager to take a picture with him.
According to the channel's translation, Trump said, "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."
The channel aired a dubbed version of the interview but did not release the original audio recording.
Responding in a strongly worded statement, Meloni rejected Trump's claims outright.
Just in: Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani cancels US visit after Trump claimed that Italian PM Meloni "begged for photo". PM Meloni has dismissed US President's claim. https://t.co/rbbOWQa7nA
— Sidhant Sibal (@sidhant) June 19, 2026
"Donald Trump's statements are completely made up. I am frankly astonished. I don't know why the president of the United States behaves like this towards his allies. It is not the first time," she said.
Meloni further added that she was disappointed by what she described as Trump's willingness to show greater understanding towards the enemies of the West while treating allies more harshly.
"There is one thing he should remember: neither I nor Italy ever beg," she said.
Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani also condemned Trump's remarks, saying they were offensive not only to Meloni but to the entire country.
"The serious and offensive words of President Trump towards Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni offend the whole of Italy," Tajani wrote on X while announcing the cancellation of his U.S. trip.
The criticism did not stop there. Giovanbattista Fazzolari, a close ally of Meloni and undersecretary to the prime minister's office, accused Trump of damaging the long-standing relationship between the United States and Europe.
In a rare public intervention, Fazzolari said it was unclear whether Trump was acting intentionally or through poor judgement, but warned that his actions were undermining historic transatlantic ties.
"With his inappropriate outbursts, he has managed to make the United States unpopular across much of Europe, damaging not only Europe but also the United States," he said.
Meloni was once considered one of Trump's strongest supporters in Europe and was the only European leader to attend his inauguration in 2025. However, relations have cooled in recent months. Earlier this year, she criticised Trump for attacking Pope Leo over the pontiff's comments on the Iran conflict, prompting Trump to accuse her of lacking courage.
The latest dispute is likely to further strain relations between Rome and Washington at a time when both sides face growing geopolitical challenges.
