Trump Claims Meloni ‘Begged’ for Photo at G7, Says He ‘Felt Sorry for Her’

U.S. President Donald Trump has claimed that Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni “begged” him for a photo during this week’s Group of Seven (G7) summit, adding that he “felt sorry for her” and initially did not intend to comply. Trump made the remarks in an interview with La7 television’s *Aria che Tira* programme on Friday, at the start of which he immediately steered the conversation toward Meloni, asking “how is your prime minister?” and asserting that she was “probably happy” he spoke to her. The comments come amid underlying tensions between the two leaders, largely stemming from Italy’s refusal to allow the U.S. use of an air base in Sicily for raids during the Iran war—a conflict that has strained their once-close relationship. Meloni, who was the only European leader invited to Trump’s inauguration last year, also drew Trump’s ire by defending Pope Leo XIV after the president criticized the pontiff as “weak on crime” and “terrible for foreign policy” following papal remarks on the war. During the summit, Trump told Meloni he felt “abandoned” by her in an exchange that included European Council President Antonio Costa and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz. When Costa asked if the two had reconciled, Meloni replied “we’ve always been friends,” to which Trump interjected “I was abandoned.” Meloni quickly retorted “No, you were not,” laughing. Despite the public barbs, Meloni has insisted that her relations with Trump are unchanged, telling reporters after the summit that there were no “recriminations” and that the two leaders understood each other’s points of view.