Furious Giorgia Meloni slaps down Trump 'lies' and takes a swipe at his relationship with 'enemies of the West' after he claimed she 'begged' for a photo with him and he agreed because 'I felt sorry for her'

- See more Daily Mail on Google - save us as a Preferred Source Giorgia Meloni lashed out at Donald Trump over comments he made that appeared to mock the Italian prime minister after the G7 Summit. In a brief interview with Italian news outlet La 7, the US President said Ms Meloni had 'begged' him to take a picture with her. 'She wanted a picture with me so badly. I wouldn't have taken it, but I felt sorry for her,' he said. The channel did not release the original audio, just a dubbed version. The Italian leader responded with a video statement on Friday, saying she was 'astonished' by his comments, and affirmed they were 'completely made-up'. Ms Meloni also accused Mr Trump of acting with far greater deference to the enemies of the West than he does towards old, established allies. 'I don't know why the US President behaves this way towards his allies,' she said. 'It's not the first time it's happened, I can only say it's unfortunate he doesn't show the same determination towards the West's enemies, whose leaders he instead treats with far greater indulgence. 'There is one thing he should remember: neither I nor Italy ever beg.' The latest exchange marks a sharp deterioration in ties, coming just days after signs at the G7 summit that the two Right-wing leaders had steadied a previously strained relationship following tensions this year over the war in Iran. Giorgia Meloni has hit back at Donald Trump in a social media video after the US President told an Italian TV channel that she had 'begged' him to take a photo with her at a G7 summit Ms Meloni laughs with Mr Trump at the G7 Summit this week Video from the event in France showed Ms Meloni and Mr Trump deep in conversation, but the US leader suggested he had merely indulged her by chatting with her. Ms Meloni was once a vocal supporter of Mr Trump and the only European leader to attend his inauguration in 2025. However, she later criticised the US President for lashing out at Pope Leo over his condemnation of the Iran conflict, distancing herself from Mr Trump after the war began. That prompted a blunt rebuke from the US leader, who accused her of lacking courage. 'I'm shocked at her. I thought she had courage, but I was wrong,' the US President said in an interview with Italian daily Corriere della Sera at the time. He accused Ms Meloni of failing to help the United States with Nato. Mr Trump has threatened to pull US troops from Italy, saying Rome 'has not been of any help to us' in the Iran war. Meanwhile, Italy's foreign minister cancelled a visit to the US on Friday over Mr Trump's reported comments about Ms Meloni. Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani, who had been due to visit the US on June 21 and 22, said on X: 'The grave and offensive words of President Trump... offend the whole of Italy.'