The President showed no signs of backing down.
“She wants to be friends again in order to get her ‘numbers up.’ No thanks!!!” Trump wrote.
The dispute began after Trump reportedly told an Italian television outlet that Meloni was eager to be photographed alongside him during the G7 gathering in France.
According to the dubbed interview that aired in Italy, Trump remarked, “She’s probably happy I talked to her. I didn’t have to talk to her.”
He then added, “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.”
Those comments triggered an immediate response from Meloni, who released a video statement sharply criticizing the American president.
“Certain things deserve an immediate response,” she said.
“Donald Trump’s statements are totally made up and completely invented. I am frankly astonished.”
The Italian leader suggested that Trump had once again chosen to publicly target an ally rather than focus his criticism on America’s adversaries.
“I don’t know why the President of the United States behaves this way with his allies — and it’s not the first time,” Meloni said.
She continued, “I can only say that it’s a shame he doesn’t show the same resolve toward the enemies of the West and the enemies of the United States, toward which he is instead much more accommodating.”
Meloni ended her statement with a line that quickly spread across social media.
“But one thing he should remember: Neither I nor Italy ever beg.”
She later posted the clip on X alongside the message: “Neither I nor Italy ever beg.”
Rather than de-escalate the situation, Trump responded with an even more aggressive statement on Saturday, expanding his criticism beyond Meloni and taking aim at NATO as a whole.
WATCH:
Trump has repeatedly voiced frustration with the alliance since the conflict with Iran began. According to the President, several NATO members failed to provide meaningful assistance while the United States carried the burden of confronting Tehran.
In his Truth Social statement, Trump accused Meloni of refusing to cooperate with American military operations and suggested that her political standing at home has suffered as a result.
“Italian Prime Minister Gigiorgia Meloni asked, over and over, for a picture with me during the G-7 meeting in France. She is doing poorly in Italy with her level of popularity, possibly because she turned down the United States of America, a Country that truly loves and protects Italy, when it came to denying Iran from obtaining or developing a Nuclear Weapon (But so did NATO, for that matter!).”
Trump went further, alleging that Italy denied logistical support during the operation.
“She wouldn’t even let us use Italy’s landing strips or runways, a great logistical inconvenience, and this despite the fact the U.S. contributes hundreds of Billions of Dollars a year to protect Italy, and other ‘so-called’ NATO Allies.”
The President then pointed to America’s military success against Iran as proof that his administration acted decisively while allies hesitated.
“Now, after the United States defeated Iran militarily, she wants to be friends again in order to get her ‘numbers up.’ No thanks!!! President DJT”
The diplomatic clash has already produced fallout inside the Italian government.
Italian Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani condemned Trump’s remarks, reportedly describing them as offensive and inappropriate for relations between allied nations. Reports indicate that Tajani canceled a planned trip to the United States amid the controversy.
The exchange marks one of the most public confrontations between Trump and a major European leader in recent months and highlights growing tensions between Washington and several NATO capitals over defense commitments, military cooperation, and the future direction of Western alliances.
With neither side showing any interest in backing down, the dispute appears likely to remain a major international political story in the days ahead.
