Trump and Italy’s Giorgia Meloni escalate war of words over G7 photo claims

After President Donald Trump said Giorgia Meloni had “begged” him for a photo at the G7 summit earlier this week, Italy’s Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni was quick to hit back.

ROME — This time, Giorgia Meloni was quick to fire back: “I and Italy never beg.”

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Clearly irked at President Donald Trump’s suggestion that she had had “begged” him for a photo at the Group of Seven summit earlier this week, the Italian prime minister said this was “totally fabricated.”

The dispute erupted after Trump told Italian broadcaster La7 that Meloni had pleaded with him for a photo at the meeting of leading industrialized nations in the French resort of Evian-les-Bains earlier this week.