Donald Trump claimed Giorgia Meloni “begged” for a photo, and that he only agreed out of pity. Within hours, Italy’s prime minister fired back, publicly accusing the US president of lying – and something inside a fragile alliance appeared to snap. Ministers canceled trips. Old wounds over Iran, Sicily, even the Pope, suddenly ripped wide op… Continues…
What began as a petty-sounding quarrel over a G7 photo has exposed just how poisoned the relationship between Washington and Rome has become. Meloni’s furious denial – “Italy and I never beg” – was not just about personal pride. It was about a leader who feels repeatedly humiliated by an ally who should be on her side, yet seems to reserve his harshest words for friends, not adversaries. When Italy’s foreign minister scrapped his US visit, calling Trump’s remarks an insult to the entire country, it signaled that this was no longer a social-media spat, but a diplomatic rupture.