Focus on your own popularity’: Meloni fires back at Trump as diplomatic rift deepens

According to international media reports, the controversy began after Trump claimed in an interview that Meloni had repeatedly asked to take photographs with him during the recent

Washington: A growing diplomatic dispute between U.S. President Donald Trump and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has sparked fresh tensions between the United States and Italy, following a series of sharp public exchanges between the two leaders.

According to international media reports, the controversy began after Trump claimed in an interview that Meloni had repeatedly asked to take photographs with him during the recent G7 summit. He suggested that he agreed to the requests out of courtesy and sympathy.

Meloni swiftly rejected the remarks, describing them as entirely false and detached from reality. She insisted that Trump’s account of the events was fabricated and bore no resemblance to what had actually occurred.

The dispute escalated when Trump posted further comments on his social media platform, alleging that Meloni had made several requests for photographs and accusing Italy of failing to support recent U.S. actions against Iran. He also claimed that Rome was now seeking to improve relations with Washington following what he described as an American success in the regional conflict.

Trump further suggested that Meloni was attempting to rebuild ties with the United States to strengthen her standing at home. He also alleged that Italy had denied certain military facilities to U.S. forces during the Iran crisis.

Responding through a statement on Instagram, Meloni condemned Trump’s repeated criticism as unnecessary and baseless. She stressed that her political support did not depend on her relationship with the American president and dismissed his remarks as unwarranted.

In a pointed response, the Italian prime minister remarked that her popularity was not Trump’s concern and suggested that he should focus on his own approval ratings instead.

The disagreement widened after Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani reportedly canceled a planned visit to the United States, describing Trump’s comments as offensive not only to the prime minister but to Italy as a whole.

Political analysts note that the dispute is particularly significant because Meloni has long been viewed as one of the European leaders most aligned with Trump. However, the latest exchange has exposed growing differences between the two sides.

Experts believe disagreements over key international issues, including Iran, the war in Ukraine, and NATO policies, could further strain relations between Washington and Rome in the months ahead.