Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni on Sunday cancelled a planned high-level visit to Washington, escalating a bitter diplomatic feud with US President Donald Trump after he accused her of begging for a photo at the G7 summit in Evian. The abrupt cancellation of Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani’s trip to the United States follows Trump’s repeated claims that Meloni sought repeated photographs with him to bolster her domestic standing, a charge Rome has forcefully denied as “completely made up.”

Meloni took to Instagram on Saturday to dismiss Trump’s allegations as “constant, unprovoked attacks,” defending Italy’s sovereignty and rejecting his remarks about her domestic popularity. “My popularity is none of your business,” she wrote, underscoring the depth of the rift. The spat intensified on Saturday when Trump alleged that Rome had refused the United States access to Italian airbases during the recent war with Iran, a claim Meloni’s government has not addressed publicly but which further strained bilateral relations.

The dispute traces back to June 19, when Meloni first rejected Trump’s claim that she had begged for a photo with him at the G7 summit in Evian, calling the accusation “completely made up.” By June 20, Tajani had cancelled his planned trip to Washington, and by June 21 Meloni escalated the crisis by cancelling the visit outright. The cancellation comes as Meloni gears up for a re-election battle, complicating her efforts to maintain strong ties with Washington amid domestic political pressures.

Trump’s latest salvos have not been limited to Italy. On Saturday, he intensified criticism of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, calling him “a killer” despite Modi’s attendance at the G7 summit. The president also faced domestic scrutiny over the Reflecting Pool in Washington, which has turned green and begun peeling after a $14 million renovation. Trump blamed “vandalism” for the problems and threatened to arrest anyone responsible, while local reports suggested a man had been detained after entering the pool.

The diplomatic rupture between Rome and Washington reflects broader tensions at the G7 summit, where Trump’s confrontational style has alienated allies. Meloni’s defiance signals a new phase in Italy’s foreign policy, prioritizing sovereignty and public rebuke over deference to the US president. The cancellation of Tajani’s visit underscores the severity of the dispute and the challenges ahead for both leaders as they navigate a fraught international landscape.

Bluesky Threads

Source Intelligence

17 sources10 countries

Geographic Origin15 located

2 further sources not geolocated

Political Spectrum11 mapped

Articles

Reflecting Pool wird zum Algentümpel: Trump begründet Probleme an renoviertem Wasserbecken in Washington mit Vandalismus Das Wahrzeichen macht nach teuren Renovierungsarbeiten negative Schlagzeilen. Der US-Präsident liefert eine Begründung. Festgenommen wurde offenbar auch ein ehemaliger Olympionike.

tagesspiegel · 12 days ago

Modi is a KILLER! Donald Trump offered a pointed assessment of Indias Islamophobic leader, Narendra Modi, during the G7 Summit, saying, He looks like an angel, but hes a killer.

yenisafak · 12 days ago

Regierungschefs streiten: Meloni zu Trump: „Meine Beliebtheit geht Sie nichts an Italiens Ministerpräsidentin Giorgia Meloni und US-Präsident Donald Trump liegen wieder einmal im Streit miteinander. „Meine Beliebtheit geht Sie nichts an, schrieb Meloni auf Instagram.

faz · 12 days ago

Wirtschaftswachstum: Warum Italien besser dasteht als Deutschland Die Wirtschaft des G-7-Staates schwächelt, aber besser als in Deutschland läuft es in Italien allemal. Und Ministerpräsidentin Giorgia Meloni punktet jetzt sogar in Brüssel.

sueddeutsche · 12 days ago

Trump baffles internet with picture of woman and message of great daughter - but nobody is sure who she is The 80-year-old president raised eyebrows after sharing an image of a mysterious blonde woman on Truth Social

independent · 12 days ago

Trump slams Meloni for blocking US military access during Iran war US President Donald Trump on Saturday intensified his criticism of Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, claiming Rome refused access to Italian airbases during the war with Iran and alleging she repeatedly sought a photograph at the G7 summit to boost her domestic standing.

yenisafak · 12 days ago

Trump says he will probably drain the Reflecting Pool again to fix the problems after the $14M renovations Trumps renovations have already totaled $14 million, and he now blames vandalism for the algae and peeling paint in the Reflecting Pool

independent · 12 days ago

Donald Trump Humiliated: Giorgia Meloni Cancels US Trip After POTUS Claims She Begged for Photo

gdeltproject.org · 12 days ago

Why Giorgia Meloni turned on Donald Trump Italian premiers fallout with US president comes as she gears up for re-election battle

financial times · 12 days ago

After Trumps Begged for a Photo Remark About Giorgia Meloni, Italy Cancels US Visit

gdeltproject.org · 12 days ago

Ro Khanna warns Americans on Sam Altman and Dario Amodei attending G7 summit with Donald Trump; says: As we celebrate 250th birthday of the US, we did not fight to ...

gdeltproject.org · 12 days ago

A flying White House: President Trump unveils the new Air Force One Converted from a former Qatari-owned Boeing 747, the new Air Force One will serve as a temporary presidential aircraft until Boeing delivers the long-delayed replacement fleet in 2028.

euronews · 12 days ago

Itaalia peaministri Meloni häbelik tütar püüdis end ema selja taha peita Itaalia peaministri Giorgia Meloni kaamera eest hoidunud tütar püüdis tähelepanu vältida, kui ta saabus koos oma emaga G7 tippkohtumisele Prantsusmaal.

postimees · 12 days ago

Meloni hits back at Trump over constant, unprovoked attacks Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni on Saturday rejected fresh criticism from US President Donald Trump regarding Romes stance on the Iran war and the use of American military bases on Italian territory, defending her governments sovereignty and dismissing the US presidents remarks about her domestic popularity in a social media post.

yenisafak · 12 days ago

American actor Giancarlo Esposito embraces Islam Giancarlo Esposito, the renowned American actor best known for his role as Gus Fring in Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul, has reportedly reverted to Islam.Footage appearing to show the actor praying has circulated online, prompting a wave of reactions from fans, who expressed support and congratulations across social media platforms.

yenisafak · 12 days ago

Neues Kapitel in Posse um Reflecting Pool US-Präsident Donald Trump hat den berühmten Reflecting Pool in Washington in frischem Blau erstrahlen lassen wollen und dafür eine teure Renovierung angeordnet. Doch die will offenbar nicht recht gelingen, Farbe löst sich, Algen gedeihen. Am Samstag (Ortszeit) machte Trump dafür „schändlichen Vandalismus verantwortlich. Einen Mann brachte laut einem Bericht der „Washington Post ein Griff in den Pool in Polizeigewahrsam.

orf.at · 12 days ago

Trump Threatens to Arrest Anyone Who Vandalizes Reflecting Pool

news.yahoo.com · 12 days ago

Szülei válása után Trump volt a pótapja, és ezt korlátlan lojalitással hálálja meg Andrew Giuliani, a foci-vb főszervezője Gyerekkorától közel áll Donald Trumphoz, tizenéves kora óta a golfpartnere, most pedig a labdarúgó-világbajnokság felügyelője Andrew Diuliani, a volt New York-i polgármester Rudy Giuliani fia.

hvg.hu · 12 days ago

Blauw, groen, blauwgroen? Het water in de vijver in Washington weerspiegelt opnieuw de politiek Voor de viering van 250 jaar Amerikaanse Onafhankelijkheid moest de iconische Lincoln Memorial Reflection Pool in Washington een blauw glanzend symbool van Trumps grandeur worden. Maar algen en loslatende verf hebben het blauw verpest.

nrc · 12 days ago

Cucinare il pesce frena l80 degli italiani, avanza la filiera del tutto pronto Tra poco tempo libero, nuclei familiari più piccoli e una cucina sempre più veloce, gli italiani scelgono il pesce già pronto. Crescono i prodotti ad alto servizio e la filiera si riorganizza per rispondere alla domanda di praticità

il sole 24 ore · 12 days ago

Trump gegen Meloni – und die Weltpolitik auf Kindergartenniveau Trump gegen Meloni, das ist für alle Beteiligten peinlich. Aber Wegschauen geht nicht, den US-Präsidenten kann man nicht ignorieren. Aber wie mit ihm umgehen?

der standard · 12 days ago

Trump asegura que no habrá peajes en el estrecho de Ormuz El presidente de Estados Unidos, Donald Trump, aseguró este sábado que "no habrá peajes" en el estrecho de Ormuz "durante los 60 días del periodo de alto el fuego, ni tampoco después de que expire ese plazo". Leer

expansion · 13 days ago

Italian PM denies Trumps claim she begged for photo Giorgia Meloni forcefully rejected Donald Trumps assertion that she pleaded for a photograph at the recent G7 summit, calling the remarks completely made up as diplomatic tensions prompted Romes foreign minister to cancel a planned visit to Washington.

yenisafak · 13 days ago

Modi is a KILLER! Donald Trump offered a pointed assessment of Indias Islamophobic leader, Narendra Modi, during the G7 Summit, saying, He looks like an angel, but hes a killer.

yenisafak · 13 days ago

Linksruck in US-Städten: Eine demokratische Sozialistin regiert künftig die Hauptstadt der USA Zohran Mamdani hat es in New York vorgemacht. Nun erhält wohl auch Washington eine linke Bürgermeisterin: Janeese Lewis George. Donald Trump gefällt das nicht, er stößt wieder Drohungen aus.

sueddeutsche · 13 days ago

From Meloni to Macron: How Trumps relationships with Europes leaders fell apart one by one Trumps seemingly off-hand remarks about the Italian prime minister have sparked a diplomatic spat. But it is not the first time the mercurial leader has rubbed world leaders the wrong way, Maira Butt reports

independent · 13 days ago

Donald Trump Humiliated: Giorgia Meloni Cancels US Trip After POTUS Claims She Begged for Photo

gdeltproject.org · 13 days ago

Verf laat los van spiegelvijver Washington, Trump geeft vandalen de schuld De Amerikaanse president Donald Trump schrijft op Truth Social dat meerdere personen zijn gearresteerd voor vandalisme bij de Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool in Washington. Een van hen zou drievoudig olympiër David Carter Hearn zijn.

nu.nl · 13 days ago