Italy has erupted in anger after President Donald Trump said that at the G7 summit, Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni supposedly “begged” to take a photo with him and that he agreed only out of pity. Italian media described the comment as a public humiliation, and Meloni responded sharply, saying she was “shocked” and that Trump “made it all up.” She insisted Italy does not need the goodwill of any leader and rejected his version of events as an outright lie.
The backlash was reflected on the front page of the Italian daily Libero, edited by Alessandro Sallusti, which used an especially aggressive caricature to channel the national mood. In the image, Meloni is shown dumping a bucket of pasta onto a stunned Trump’s head, turning a symbol of Italian culture into a sign of contempt for what was seen as his insulting behavior.
According to Italian reporting, the dispute has become a deep rift between the two leaders, who were previously close allies. The incident has also triggered broad shock in Italy, both among the public and within the political system, with support for Meloni cutting across party lines in response to what many see as an attack on the country’s dignity.
