Trump Taunts Meloni Again Ahead of NATO Summit

Ahead of this week's NATO summit in Turkey, President Trump again needled Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, posting on Truth Social a photo of her gazing up at him with the caption, "RESTRAINING ORDER NEEDED." Meloni last month accused Trump of inventing a claim that she had "begged" him for a photo ay the G7 summit, calling the story false; she has not publicly reacted to the latest jab. Italy's defense minister, Guido Crosetto, downplayed the flare-up, saying maintaining ties with a "key ally like the USA" matters more than personal spats, Reuters reports. "People come and go but relationships remain," he said.

Opposition figures were sharper. Carlo Calenda, who leads the small Azione party, labeled Trump "a despicable, cheap bully" on X while voicing support for Meloni. The Italian premier, once a strong Trump backer and the only European leader at his 2025 inauguration, has grown more critical this year, particularly over Trump's attacks on Pope Leo regarding the Iran conflict, a shift that previously drew a harsh public rebuke from the president. Meloni is expected to meet Trump in person on Tuesday at the Ankara summit, Politico reports.