Trump-Meloni clash breaks into the open

US President Donald Trump described his meeting with Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni at the G7 in Evian in a phone call with La7, claiming the premier had “begged” him to take a photo together and that granting her the meeting had made him “feel sorry” for her. Meloni responded in a video posted on social media from Brussels, where she is attending the European Council, saying she was disappointed that the American president does not show the same “resolve” toward allies that he reserves for enemies of the West.

Reached by phone by journalist Daniele Compatangelo for La7’s programme “L’Aria che tira,” Trump turned the conversation to the Italian premier when discussing the G7 in Evian. The president said he had not been obligated to speak with her and had agreed to the meeting anyway. “I don’t know what to tell you, she begged me to take a photo with her,” he said, adding that “she wanted a photo with me so badly” and that in the end “I felt sorry for her.” The content of the call was released by the broadcaster this morning.

In her video response, Meloni said she did not understand why the American president behaves this way toward his own allies, noting that it is not the first time this has happened. The premier added that she regretted that Trump does not show the same resolve toward the enemies of the West and of the United States, toward whom he instead shows himself to be far more accommodating.

Io e l’Italia non imploriamo mai. pic.twitter.com/sTpKlqWB67
— Giorgia Meloni (@GiorgiaMeloni) June 19, 2026

Political reactions

Democratic Party senator Filippo Sensi expressed solidarity with Meloni on X, calling Trump’s words “unacceptable.” He wrote that no one can take such an arrogant tone with the head of the Italian government and that, while he considers himself politically far removed from the premier and the right-wing majority, he finds it unacceptable for Italy to be treated this way.

Azione leader Carlo Calenda called Trump “a serial liar” and “a two-bit bully,” adding that he did not believe Meloni had actually begged for anything. Like Sensi, Calenda called for the insults to be rejected as damaging to the nation’s honour, regardless of one’s political affiliation.

What Meloni had said at the G7

At the closing press conference of the Evian summit, Meloni had described her relationship with Trump as “unchanged” despite the tensions of recent weeks. The premier had explained that there had been no recriminations between the two and that their talk had not focused on recent events: “Donald and I both have fairly strong characters, we are two people who defend our national interest with determination,” she had said, adding that there was no need for them to clear the air and that work had resumed “with the same ease” as on previous occasions.

Meloni had also revealed that she had met Trump several times over the two days of the summit, including a conversation that took place just minutes before the final press conference. Asked about the tone of the meeting, she had dismissed accounts describing it as informal, specifying that the topics discussed, from Iran to Ukraine, had been serious.

Previous tensions

The deterioration in relations between Rome and Washington dates back to April, when Trump repeatedly criticised Pope Leo XIV, accusing him of endangering Catholics over positions Trump considered too soft on Iran’s nuclear programme. Meloni came to the pontiff’s defence, first cautiously and then with a sharper statement, straining a relationship with the American president that had been positive up to that point.

Trump attacks Meloni: “I thought she had courage”

The tensions over the Vatican were compounded by disagreements over the Iran crisis and the Hormuz file. Trump went so far as to tell Corriere della Sera that Meloni “is no longer the same person” and that Italy had not helped him on Iran, arguing that the relationship between the two was no longer what it had been. Rome, meanwhile, has kept its position unchanged on the need for parliamentary authorisation for any naval mission to the Hormuz strait.

The original article in Italian by EUalive’s partner FocusEurope.it can be found here

Caption: US President Donald Trump (L), Italy’s Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni (C) and French President Emmanuel Macron are on their way to working session at Hotel Royal during the G7 summit in Evian-les-Bains, France, 16 June 2026. The 52nd G7 Summit takes place in Evian-les-Bains from 15 to 17 June 2026. EPA/YOAN VALAT