Trump, Italian PM Giorgia Meloni feud online over G7 photo

The prime minster has denied Trump's claims she "begged" for a photo.

President Donald Trump continued his war of words with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni on Saturday, insisting she "begged" for a photo of them together at this week's G7 summit , despite denials from Meloni and pushback from Italian ministers.

Trump repeated the claim in a social media post that the prime minister asked "over and over" for a photo with him. Meloni said Trump's claim is "fabricated."

Trump also slammed Meloni for her perceived lack of support for the U.S.'s war in Iran.

"She is doing poorly in Italy with her level of popularity, possibly because she turned down the United States of America, a Country that truly loves and protects Italy, when it came to denying Iran from obtaining or developing a Nuclear Weapon (But so did NATO, for that matter!)," the president said in his post.

"She wouldn't even let us use Italy's landing strips or runways, a great logistical inconvenience, and this despite the fact the U.S. contributes hundreds of Billions of Dollars a year to protect Italy, and other 'so-called' NATO Allies," he added.

The White House did not immediately respond to ABC News' request for comment.

Meloni snapped back on Trump with her own social media post later in the morning which shared a screen shot of the president's post along with a message by her written in English.

The prime minister called the president's attacks "unprovoked" and "senseless."

"As for my popularity, being your friend has certainly not helped it, nor does it depend on my relationship with you. My popularity depends on my ability to defend Italy's national interest, and that is exactly what I have always done," Meloni said.

The prime minister reiterated Italy's support of the U.S. and her country's support of U.S. military bases in her country.

"In any case, my popularity is none of your concern. I suggest you focus on yours," she said to Trump.

Meloni said in her post in Italian that she would not revisit the subject.

The feud stems from an interview that Trump gave with an Italian journalist where he claimed Meloni "begged" to have the photo taken.

"She wanted a photo with me so badly," Trump said in the interview that aired Friday. "I could have skipped it, but I felt sorry for her."

Meloni went on social media Friday and denied Trump's claims.

"I don't know why the President of the United States is behaving this way with his allies; it's not the first time it happens after all," she said in Italian.

"I can only say that I'm sorry he doesn't have the same determination with the enemies of the West, with the enemies of the United States, with leaderships with which instead he appears to be way more accommodating. But he has to remember one thing: I and Italy never beg," she added.

Trump's comments about Meloni also created a commotion in political circles in Italy.

Italian deputy premier and foreign minister Antonio Tajani said he called off his visit to the United States planned for Sunday and Monday following Trump's comments.

"President Trump's serious and offensive words towards Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni offend all of Italy," Tajani said in Italian in an X post on Friday.

During an event at the foreign ministry in Rome later on Friday, Tajani added, "no one is allowed to offend Italy like the U.S. did."

Other Italian politicians, including opposition party members, have come out in support of Meloni while also arguing this shows that being too acquiescent with the U.S. administration is counterproductive.

"I have nothing in common with Meloni, who boasted about being a bridge (between Trump's American and the EU), and the Right. But no one can treat Italy this way," Filippo Sensi, a senator for the centre-left Democratic Party, said in an X post Friday.

-ABC News' Phoebe Natanson contributed to this report.

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