Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has rejected President Donald Trump’s statement that she "begged" him for a photo at the recent G7 summit.
Meloni Rejects Trump’s Claim As False Meloni said in a video statement that Trump’s remarks were "completely fabricated" and expressed astonishment at what she described as misleading comments about an allied leader, CNBC translated the video on Friday.
"Italy and I do not beg," she said, directly addressing the accusation.
Io e l’Italia non imploriamo mai. pic.twitter.com/sTpKlqWB67— Giorgia Meloni (@GiorgiaMeloni) June 19, 2026 The controversy stems from a Trump interview aired on Italy’s La7 network, in which he was asked about Ukraine but instead discussed his interaction with Meloni at the G7 summit in Evian-les-Bains, France.
According to the broadcast, Trump suggested Meloni had insisted on a photo opportunity, a statement Italian officials say is inaccurate.
