Trump doubles down on Italian PM jab after claiming she 'begged' for a photo with him

Trump has doubled down on claims he made about Giorgia Meloni, the Prime Minister of Italy, stating that she 'begged' him for a picture while at the G7 summit in France earlier this week.

Tensions between the two world leaders reached new heights after the Italian PM snapped back at the US president yesterday (June 19), writing on Instagram that his claims were 'completely fabricated'.

At the summit, which was held in Évian-les-Bains, France, between June 15 and 17, President Trump said the Italian PM was 'probably happy I spoke to her. I didn’t have to', before adding: "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."

But Meloni was quick to dismiss Trump's claims, adding that she was 'frankly stunned' by his lies.

The Italian prime minister said that she was 'stunned' by the president's 'false' claims. (Win McNamee/Getty Images)

In a statement, she wrote: "Italy and I never beg. Some things deserve an immediate response. I don’t know why the US president behaves this way towards his allies.

"It’s not the first time it’s happened. I can only say it’s unfortunate he doesn’t show the same determination towards the West’s enemies."

But during an interview with NBC News’ Gabe Gutierrez, Trump doubled down on the bold claim.

Adding fuel to the ongoing fire, he said: "She was a big fan. But I don't want her as a fan because she was not there - along with the NATO group - having to do with the Strait."

And the Italian government are taking the claims very seriously.

The two were pictured at the White House in 2025. (Win McNamee/Getty Images)

The country's Foreign Minister, Antonio Tajani, also condemned Trump's comments, and announced that he is canceling an upcoming trip to the US.

"The serious and offensive words of President Trump towards Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni offend all of Italy.

"For this reason, I have decided to cancel my visit to the United States scheduled for the next 21 and 22 June," he wrote on X.

But it's not the first time the president and the European prime minister have clashed.

After Trump previously dubbed Pope Leo 'terrible for foreign policy' and 'weak on crime' amid the war in Iran, Meloni fiercly responded: "The Pope is the head of the Catholic Church, and it is right and normal for him to call for peace and to condemn every form of war."