Former President Donald Trump reignited a public feud with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni on Sunday, posting an altered image of her appearing to look up at him with the caption, "Restraining order needed." The post on Truth Social, which was widely shared by critics, drew condemnation from some who called the move "desperate."
The dispute between Trump and Meloni began in June after the G7 summit in France. Trump claimed that Meloni "begged" him for a photo, stating, "I wouldn’t have taken it, but I felt sorry for her." Meloni responded via social media video, calling Trump's account "completely fabricated" and declaring, "Italy and I do not beg."
Following Meloni's rebuttal, Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani canceled a planned trip to the United States, calling Trump's remarks "serious and offensive."
During the G7 summit, footage emerged of Meloni interacting with Trump, which some observers noted he likely would not have found favorable given his image consciousness. Trump later stated that Meloni had asked for a picture "over and over" and was a "big fan." He also suggested Meloni's need for the photo stemmed from her "doing poorly in Italy with her level of popularity," a claim Meloni countered by telling him to focus on his own popularity.
The exchange on Sunday marks a renewed public spat between the two leaders after a period of relative quiet. Meloni had not yet publicly responded to Trump's latest post as of Monday.