The US president posts meme mocking Italian premier days before Ankara talks, as Rome opts to stay silent rather than escalate a row that has simmered since last month’s G7. The renewed social media attack shows a President whose only recourse appears to be bullying.
US President Donald Trump launched a fresh social media attack on Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni on Sunday, days before this week’s NATO summit in Ankara. He posted an image on his Truth Social platform showing her looking towards him captioned “Restraining Order Needed.”
Meme revives dispute from last month’s G7
The photograph appears to be taken at last month’s G7 summit in Évian-les-Bains, France, and shows Meloni looking towards Trump, an image critics say was chosen deliberately to cast her as fixated on him. At the time of writing, Meloni had not responded to the post.
As Meloni is around 5’2″ – 5’4″ in height and Trump about a foot taller, the Italian Prime Minister has no option but to look up at him.
Carlo Calenda, leader of the centrist opposition Azione party, defended the premier, describing Trump on social media as “a despicable two-bit bully” and offering her his full solidarity.
According to Italian media reports, Palazzo Chigi’s line is to avoid responding to the provocation and to keep its focus on the substantive issues at stake at the NATO summit, where alliance members’ military spending is set to be discussed. Meloni and Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani reportedly consulted overnight and agreed to ignore the latest post, despite voicing dismay at it.
Row traces back to disputed “begging” claim
Trump and Meloni had enjoyed warm relations until ties soured over Italy’s refusal to assist the United States militarily in the war with Iran. Tensions escalated further last month when Trump claimed Meloni had “begged” him for a photograph at the G7 summit, saying she had wanted a picture with him “so badly” and that he had felt sorry for her.
Meloni rejected the claim as entirely fabricated and accused Trump of treating allies harshly while going easy on adversaries of the West. Foreign Minister Tajani cancelled a planned trip to the United States in protest, calling Trump’s version of events serious and offensive.
Trump doubled down, suggesting Meloni’s efforts to smooth things over were driven by a desire to boost her flagging approval ratings at home. Meloni hit back, calling the claim senseless, pointing out that her ties with Trump had done nothing to help her ratings, and telling him her popularity was not his concern. She added that she did not intend to comment further on the matter.
Timing raises questions ahead of Ankara
Sunday’s post came only hours after Trump used social media to criticise NATO members’ defence spending more broadly, contrasting the roughly $999 billion contributed by the United States with Italy’s $48.8 billion. The renewed attack on Meloni followed days of relative calm between the two leaders, and arrived just as Italy had sent a senior delegation to mark US Independence Day celebrations, in what was seen in Rome as a gesture toward easing tensions.
The NATO summit in Ankara opens Tuesday and Wednesday, where alliance leaders are expected to discuss defence spending commitments and the organisation’s future direction.
