President of the United States Donald Trump escalated the diplomatic row with the Italian Prime Minister Georgia Meloni Saturday, accusing him of repeatedly seeking photos with her and linking the dispute to tensions over Iran and Nato.
The fight has sparked an unusual rift between Trump and one of Europe’s most prominent right-wing leaders, who wanted to position himself as a bridge between Washington and the continent when Trump returns to power.
Trump previously told Italian broadcaster La7 that Meloni “asked” him for a photo this week G7 in France, saying he agreed only because he “felt sorry for him.”
Meloni angrily denied the claims, calling them “made up”, but Trump doubled down in a post on Social Truth, saying Meloni had “repeatedly” asked for photos during the meeting.
He also accused him of trying to mend relations with Washington for domestic political reasons after Italy failed to support US actions against Iran.
