The Italian prime minister, Giorgia Meloni, has hit back at Donald Trump after the former US president claimed she “begged” for a photo at the G7 summit. In a statement released late last night, Meloni’s office called the allegation “entirely fabricated” and warned that such distortions risked damaging transatlantic trust.
The row erupted after Trump told a rally in Texas that Meloni had “pleaded” with him to be seen together at the summit in Cornwall, saying she needed the image to boost her domestic standing. Trump’s version of events has been met with incredulity in Rome, where officials describe it as “a work of fiction.”
For the Whitehall watcher, this is a classic case of political narrative warping. Trump’s claim plays to his base: the strongman leader courted by a European counterpart. But on the ground, insiders say the dynamic was reversed. Meloni, buoyed by strong polling at home, has been cautious about being seen as too close to Trump’s brand of politics. The photograph in question was a standard group shot, not a bilat.
Italy’s diplomatic sources point out that Meloni has been careful to maintain equidistance between Washington and Brussels. A recent poll showed her approval rating at 39 per cent, hardly a position of weakness. Why would she beg?
This is the game within the game. Trump’s comments are a play for his own domestic audience, but they risk alienating a key European ally. Meloni’s government is already under pressure from the Five Star Movement over its support for Ukraine. The last thing she needs is a spat with a potential future US president.
Backbench whispers in Rome suggest that Meloni’s team is privately furious. They see Trump’s claim as a deliberate attempt to undermine her credibility ahead of upcoming regional elections in Lombardy and Lazio. If the story sticks, it could give opposition parties a stick to beat her with.
Meanwhile, the British government has stayed silent. Whitehall sources say they are watching the row with quiet concern, mindful of the delicate balancing act required when the special relationship is in flux. One former ambassador described it as “a diplomatic pothole” that both sides would do well to navigate carefully.
The key numbers? Meloni’s party, Brothers of Italy, remains the most popular in the country, polling at around 28 per cent. But the gap with the centre-left Democratic Party has narrowed to just 4 points. Any perception of weakness could be costly.
For now, the Italian government is fighting back. Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani has been dispatched to reassure allies that Italy’s foreign policy is not for sale. The message: Meloni does not beg for anything. Not from Trump, not from anyone.
The real question is whether this row will blow over or become a fixture of the campaign season. In the lobby, the smart money says it will fade. Trump’s attention span is short. But the damage to the relationship may linger. And in the high-stakes game of global politics, every image, every claim, every denial is a card played. Meloni has played hers. Now we wait for Trump’s next move.
