UMVA has learned that President Trump unleashed a blistering tirade against Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni on Saturday, accusing her and other NATO partners of abandoning the United States in the escalating conflict with Iran.
In a fiery morning address, Trump claimed Meloni “asked, over and over, for a picture with me during the G‑7 meeting in France,” and mocked her for supposedly begging for the photo. He suggested her dwindling popularity at home stemmed from “turning down the United States of America, a country that truly loves and protects Italy,” when it came to stopping Iran’s nuclear ambitions.
The president’s rant painted NATO as a “paper tiger,” alleging the alliance refused any material support after the war with Iran began, leaving the United States to shoulder the burden alone.
Meloni retaliated in a video posted Friday, declaring Trump’s accusations “totally made up and completely invented.” She expressed astonishment at the president’s behavior toward allies, noting it was “a shame he doesn’t show the same resolve toward the enemies of the West and the enemies of the United States.”
“Neither I nor Italy ever beg,” Meloni asserted, emphasizing her refusal to submit to what she described as humiliating demands.
Trump doubled down on his claims in a Truth Social post, dismissing Meloni’s overtures as a desperate bid to boost her “numbers.” He reiterated that Italy had refused to allow U.S. use of its runways, despite billions of American dollars spent annually on Italy’s defense.
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Nat io Tajani condemned Trump’s statements as “serious and offensive,” canceling a planned trip to the United States in protest.
The clash has ignited a diplomatic firestorm, exposing deep rifts within the alliance as the war with Iran intensifies and leaders grapple with the fallout of public spats.
