The Daily Populous Saturday June 20th, 2026 night edition
Authored by yahoo.com and submitted by yahoonews

Italy reacted angrily on Friday after reported comments by US President Donald Trump mocking Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, with the foreign minister cancelling a planned US visit.

Meloni said she was "frankly stunned" by Trump's comments to Italian channel La7.

According to a written transcript of the phone interview provided to AFP by the network, he said Meloni "begged me for a picture" at the G7 summit this week and he agreed only because he "felt sorry for her".

He also suggested that Meloni was probably "happy that I talked to her, I didn't have to talk to her".

Meloni called what Trump said "made up", adding: "Neither I nor Italy ever beg."

"I don't know why the president of the United States behaves this way with his own allies," the far-right leader wrote on X.

"I can only say that it's a pity he doesn't show the same determination with enemies of the West, with enemies of the United States, with leaders with whom, instead, he is far more accommodating," she said.

Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani on X called Trump's words "grave and offensive" and said he was cancelling a visit to the US planned for June 21 and 22.

Justice Minister Carlo Nordio said the comments were a "painful injury" to Italy-US ties, while Defence Minister Guido Crosetto said "these jokes do not benefit anyone".

At the end of the G7 summit in Evian on Wednesday, Meloni had spoken of a "very positive climate" and "no friction" between Trump and other world leaders present.

But she also said she and Trump both had "quite strong characters". She was seen several times with the US president at the summit including a meeting on a sofa after which he appeared to pat her shoulder.

Meloni has tried to position herself as a bridge between Europe and the Trump administration, but the relationship came under strain during the Middle East war.

Trump turned on Meloni in April after she defended Pope Leo XIV from the US president's harsh criticism of the pontiff's anti-war views.

Meloni condemned Trump's remarks as "unacceptable" -- prompting the president to turn his fire on her.

"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 Meloni of failing to help the United States with NATO.

Trump has threatened to pull US troops from Italy, saying Rome "has not been of any help to us" in the Iran war.

HorseyDung on June 19th, 2026 at 13:37 UTC »

Honestly, this was long overdue.

The rest of the world let him get away with his shenanigans for far too long..

Meloni is fuming, (EDIT: find the video folks), and her non verbal communication is absolutely stunning..

8_bw on June 19th, 2026 at 13:29 UTC »

Meloni has given a genuine effort to connecting Trump with Europe. She was better positioned than most other European leaders to give it a try. But you cannot work with the guy

yahoonews on June 19th, 2026 at 13:21 UTC »

AFP reports - Italy's foreign minister on Friday cancelled a visit to the United States over reported comments by US President Donald Trump that appeared to mock Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni.

"The grave and offensive words of President Trump... offend the whole of Italy," Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani, who had been due to visit the US on June 21 and 22, said on X.

Meloni said she was "stunned" by Trump's comments to Italian channel La7 in which, according to a transcript provided by the network, he said Meloni "wanted a picture with me so badly" at the G7 summit and he agreed only because he "felt sorry for her".

He also suggested that Meloni might be "happy that I talked to her, I didn't have to talk to her".