Italian Prime Minister, Giorgia Meloni, has renewed her criticism of United States President, Donald Trump, after he questioned her popularity and repeated claims that she repeatedly sought a photograph with him.
Speaking on Saturday, Trump said Meloni was “doing poorly in Italy with her level of popularity” and accused her of failing to support American efforts to stop Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons.
Reacting in a post on Instagram, Meloni described Trump’s remarks as “constant, unprovoked attacks” that were “senseless”.
“As for my popularity, being your friend has certainly not helped it, nor does it depend on my relationship with you,” said Meloni.
“My popularity is none of your concern. I suggest you focus on yours,” she added.
Trump also criticised Italy’s decision to deny the United States access to Italian air facilities for military operations targeting Iran, claiming the move had caused “a great logistical inconvenience”.
Responding to the allegation, Meloni defended her government’s position, saying the use of Italian military bases “is government by agreements that we have always respected, and that cannot be violated as long as I am prime minister”.
The latest exchange comes a day after Meloni expressed surprise over Trump’s earlier assertion that she had “begged” for a photograph during this week’s G7 summit in France.
The public disagreement has further exposed tensions between Washington and Rome, particularly following Trump’s military actions against Iran earlier this year.
In another sign of the strain in relations, Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani has cancelled a planned visit to the United States next week.
Although Trump and Meloni were seen speaking privately during the G7 summit, the Italian leader later told reporters that their relationship remained intact and that there had been “no recriminations”.
However, Trump subsequently told Italy’s La7 television channel that: “She begged me to take a photo with her; I felt sorry for her.”
“She’s probably happy I spoke to her,” he said.
La7 broadcast the remarks in Italian and did not air Trump’s original English comments.
Addressing the claim in a video posted on Instagram, Meloni said she was “frankly stunned”.
“I don’t know why the US president behaves this way towards allies,” she said, noting that it was not the first time such an incident had occurred.
“But there is one thing he needs to remember: neither I nor Italy ever beg,” she said.
Her response drew support from politicians across Italy’s political divide.
The two leaders had also clashed earlier in the year when Trump criticised Pope Leo XIV on Truth Social, describing him as “WEAK on Crime and terrible for Foreign Policy” before later telling reporters he was “not a big fan”.
Meloni condemned those comments at the time, calling them “unacceptable”.
Despite the recent disputes, the pair previously enjoyed a close political relationship, with Meloni becoming the only European leader to attend Trump’s inauguration in January 2025.
