Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni rebuffed U.S. President Donald Trump in an Instagram statement Saturday, telling him her popularity is “none of your concern” and that Italy remains a sovereign nation.
Meloni said his “constant, unprovoked attacks” were senseless. She said she would not address the matter again, citing her belief in the unity of the West, according to the statement.
She rejected Trump’s suggestion that she had lost standing at home. “Being your friend certainly has not helped it,” Meloni said, adding that her popularity rests on her defense of Italy’s national interest.
Meloni also pushed back on Trump’s claim about U.S. military bases. She said their use is governed by agreements Italy has always respected and that cannot be broken “as long as I am Prime Minister.”
In any case, my popularity is none of your concern. I suggest you focus on yours. — Giorgia Meloni
The statement responded to a Truth Social post Trump published early Saturday, in which he repeated his claim that Meloni “begged” him for a photo at the Group of Seven summit in France.
Trump wrote that she is “doing poorly” at home and blamed her refusal to back U.S. policy on Iran. He said Italy would not let U.S. forces use its landing strips and runways, calling it a “great logistical inconvenience.”
He said the United States spends heavily to protect Italy and other “so-called” NATO allies. Trump said Meloni wanted to renew ties only to “get her numbers up” after the United States, in his words, “defeated Iran militarily.” He rejected the idea, writing, “No thanks.”
The exchange is the latest in a public feud that began when Trump told Italian broadcaster La7 that Meloni had pleaded for a photo. “She begged me to take a picture with her,” he said, according to the broadcaster.
Meloni first responded in a video Thursday, calling Trump’s account “completely fabricated” and saying she was “frankly stunned.” She closed that message by saying, “Italy and I never beg.”
Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani canceled a planned visit to the United States in response to Trump’s remarks, according to Italian news reports. The reports differed on the trip’s dates and destination.
Meloni and Trump were seen in cordial talks days earlier at the G7 summit in Évian-les-Bains, France, held June 15 to 17.
Relations between the two governments have grown strained in recent months over the U.S.-led military campaign involving Iran and Italy’s limited support for some operations, according to news reports. Meloni’s defense of Pope Leo XIV after criticism from Trump added to the friction, the reports said.
Meloni had been viewed as the European leader closest to Trump and was the only one invited to his inauguration last year.
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