Giorgia Meloni denies Trump’s claim she begged for a photo at G7 summit
Consensus Summary
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni strongly denied US President Donald Trump’s claim that she begged him for a photo during the G7 summit in Évian-les-Bains, France, in June 2026, calling his statements 'totally invented' or 'completely made up'. Trump’s remarks, made in an interview with Italy’s La7 TV channel, sparked outrage in Italy, leading Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani to cancel a planned trip to the US. The incident highlights a strained relationship between the two leaders, which had deteriorated earlier in 2026 over disagreements about the US-Israeli war in Iran and Trump’s criticism of Pope Leo. Both sources confirm Meloni’s denial, Tajani’s canceled visit, and the broader context of their alliance turning sour, though additional details like Meloni’s Instagram post and Trump’s earlier threats about NATO and US troops appear only in one source each.
✓ Verified by 2+ sources
Key details reported by multiple sources:
- Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni responded to Donald Trump’s claim that she 'begged' him for a photo at the G7 summit in Évian-les-Bains, France, by calling his statements 'totally invented' or 'completely made up'
- Trump said in an interview with Italy’s La7 TV channel (dubbed version broadcast June 19, 2026) that Meloni 'begged me to take a picture with her' and that he 'felt sorry for her' after she asked
- Italy’s Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani canceled a planned trip to the US (scheduled for June 21–22, 2026) in response to Trump’s comments, calling them 'grave and offensive'
- The G7 summit where the incident occurred took place in Évian-les-Bains, France, in June 2026
- Meloni and Trump had previously been allies, with Meloni being the only European leader invited to Trump’s 2025 inauguration
- Their relationship deteriorated in April 2026 over Italy’s refusal to support the US-Israeli war in Iran and Trump’s criticism of Pope Leo for condemning the war
Points of Difference
Details reported by only one source:
- Giuseppe Conte, former Italian PM and leader of the Five Star Movement, called the situation 'blatantly humiliating' for Italy
- Giovanbattista Fazzolari, undersecretary to Meloni’s office, stated Trump was 'wrecking historic US-Europe relations' and making the US 'unpopular across the entire European continent'
- Trump’s remarks were part of a broader pattern where he allegedly shows 'greater deference to the enemies of the West' than to allies
- Meloni’s Instagram post included the caption 'Italy and I never beg'
- Trump previously accused Meloni of 'failing to help the US with NATO' and threatened to 'pull US troops from Italy' in April 2026
- Trump told Italian daily Corriere della Sera in April 2026 that he was 'shocked' at Meloni, saying 'I thought she had courage, but I was wrong'
- The ABC article includes a reference to a file photo from Reuters (Isabel Infantes/Pool) showing Meloni and Trump in conversation at the G7 summit
Contradictions
Conflicting information between sources:
- The Guardian states Meloni’s response was posted on Instagram with the caption 'Italy and I never beg', while the ABC article does not mention this specific detail or platform
Source Articles
Meloni left ‘stunned’ after Trump claims she begged him for a photo
US president provokes outrage as PM says he ‘totally invented’ story in interview with Italian media Italy’s prime minister, Giorgia Meloni, has said Donald Trump “totally invented” a story about her after the US president claimed she begged him to take a photo with her during the G7 summit. The two former allies had appeared to be getting their relationship back on track by having several one-to-ones on the sidelines at the gathering in Évian after falling out in April over the US-Israeli war i
Meloni says Trump 'completely made up' claim she 'begged' him for a photo
The Italian prime minister accused her one-time close ally of fabricating a story about her, after the US President told an Italian TV channel that she had "begged" him to take a photo with her at a G7 summit.