Italy’s Prime Minister Georgia Meloni expressed shock over President Trump’s reported comments about her wanting a photo with him at the G7 summit, according to Italian TV channel La 7. The network only released an Italian voice-dubbed version of the conversation, so CBS News could not verify the remarks.
Meloni dismissed Trump’s depiction as “made up,” stating that neither she nor Italy ever begged for anything. She criticized Trump’s behavior towards U.S. allies and his more accommodating stance with adversaries.
The incident prompted the cancellation of Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani’s planned visit to the U.S., which was set for June 21-22. Tajani wrote on X that Trump’s words “offend all of Italy.”
Meloni had described her meeting with Trump at the G7 summit as positive, but tensions have been mounting due to their differing views on the Iran war. In April, Meloni criticized Trump’s comments on Pope Leo XIV’s anti-war stance, which Trump later threatened to withdraw U.S. forces from Italy over.