Trump reignites feud with Giorgia Meloni as he mocks Italian PM with 'restraining order needed' picture ahead of crunch Nato summit

By SOPHIA STANFORD, NEWS REPORTER Published: 09:50, 6 July 2026 | Updated: 09:55, 6 July 2026 The US President has stoked the flames once again with his feud with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni over a crude 'restraining order needed' picture. Donald Trump shared the picture of Meloni smiling up at him with the words branded atop to his Truth Social account - only hours before he will meet with the Right-wing leader at a Nato summit this week.  Turkey will host the 32 allied countries in Ankara on Tuesday and Wednesday for the summit, a move which has triggered widespread protests across the country.  Trump's scathing jab is but the latest in the breakdown of their once friendly relationship following tensions this year which initially began over the war in Iran and led to a social media spat. Last month, Trump told Italian news outlet La 7 that Meloni had 'begged' him to take a picture with her at a G7 summit, adding that 'she wanted a picture with me so badly. I wouldn't have taken it, but I felt sorry for ‌her.' 'She might be happy that I talked to her, I didn't have to talk to her,' he also said.  The Italian leader responded by video that she was 'astonished' by his comments which were 'completely made-up', firing back that 'neither I nor Italy ever beg'. Meloni added she could not understand why Trump had chosen to target an ally in such a public and pointed manner - with the pair originally viewed as ideological allies and personal friends - but that 'it's not the first time it's happened, after all.' US President Donald Trump shared a picture of Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni smiling up at him with the words 'restraining order needed' branded atop to his Truth Social account Trump and Meloni seemed happy in each other's company when they were pictured talking at the G7 summit in Évian-les-Bains, France, despite his comments that she 'begged' him for a photo She then accused Trump of showing more leniency to adversaries of the United States and the wider West than to long-standing partners. 'I can only say that it's unfortunate that he doesn't have the same determination toward the enemies of the West, toward the enemies of the United States, toward leaders with whom he appears much more accommodating,' Meloni said to her Instagram. The next day, Trump again insisted that the Italian leader had repeatedly asked him for a photo, writing on Truth Social that 'Italian Prime Minister Gigiorgia [sic] Meloni asked, over and over, for a picture with me during the G-7 meeting in France.' The President then turned from the disputed G7 encounter to Meloni's domestic standing and Italy's position during the Iran conflict. '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,' Trump wrote. In March, Italy denied permission for US aircraft to land at Sigonella air base in Sicily before flying on to the Middle East, according to Politico. Meloni's stance on Iran prompted a blunt rebuke from the 'shocked' US ​leader, who accused her of lacking courage and for failing to help America with Nato at the time. Mr Trump then threatened to pull US troops from Italy, saying Rome 'has not been of any help to us' in the Iran war, with Meloni later criticising the US President for ​lashing out at Pope Leo over his condemnation of ​the Iran conflict.   President Trump welcomed Pime Minister Giorgia Meloni of Italy to the White House in April '25 Meloni responded once again to Trump's jabs about Iran and her popularity, taking to Instagram to fire back that 'these constant, unprovoked attacks are senseless'. 'As for my popularity, being your friend certainly has not helped it, nor does it depend on my relationship with you.' Meloni, once one of Trump's closest European allies, said her standing at home rested on one thing alone: her handling of Italy's interests. She then addressed Trump's anger over Italy's role in the campaign against Iran, including his complaint Rome had not allowed US aircraft to use Italian landing strips.   Meloni said US access to military facilities in Italy was covered by agreements that Rome had always honoured. 'As for the use of military bases in Italy, there are agreements that we have always respected,' she wrote. And in a sharp final jab, the Prime Minister told Trump that her polling was not his business. Ms Meloni was once a vocal supporter of Mr Trump, being regarded as a potential bridge between the White House and Europe’s more conservative governments, and was the only European leader to attend his inauguration in 2025. But Italy's Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani went on to cancel a visit to the US in June over Mr Trump's 'grave and offensive words' about Ms Meloni. The comments below have not been moderated. 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