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Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s escalating feud pinch President Donald Trump is thing but a calculated governmental strategy aimed astatine boosting her opinionated astatine home, a starring Italian governmental expert told Fox News Digital connected Sunday.
After nan statement betwixt Trump and Meloni escalated connected June 20, analysts besides said nan Italian leader whitethorn spot small downside successful confronting Trump, peculiarly arsenic she faces declining support ratings up of Italy's 2027 wide election.
The negotiated conflict had reached a boiling constituent aft Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani announced June 19 that he was scrapping a travel to Washington, wherever he had been scheduled to meet Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
"Giorgia Meloni must person calculated that a nationalist statement pinch Trump yields nary tangible consequences, different than an summation successful her home and world standing," Mattia Diletti, a governmental subject teacher astatine Sapienza University of Rome, said.
TRUMP SAYS MELONI 'WANTS TO BE FRIENDS AGAIN' AFTER ITALY REFUSED TO HELP US AMID IRAN WAR
Giorgia Meloni said President Trump's statements were "completely made up" and that "neither I nor Italy ever beg." (Mandel NGAN / POOL / AFP via Getty Images; Bastien Ohier / Hans Lucas / AFP via Getty Images))
Giovanni Orsina, a governmental intelligence astatine Rome’s Luiss University, besides told nan Financial Times that nan statement would connection a "positive image" for Meloni and a "silver lining" to a confrontation she had "desperately tried to avoid."
The clash betwixt Trump and Meloni intensified aft an question and reply broadcast by Italy’s La7 tv network, wherever nan president claimed she had asked for a photograph pinch him astatine nan G7 summit and that he agreed only retired of pity.
"She begged maine to return a image pinch her," Trump said. "She wanted a image pinch maine truthful badly. I wouldn’t person taken it, but I felt sorry for her."
RUBIO MEETS MELONI AS TRUMP–POPE CLASH CLASH ESCALATES US STRAINS WITH KEY EUROPEAN ALLY
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni attends her yearly property convention successful Rome connected Jan. 9, 2026, addressing authorities priorities and argumentation challenges for nan twelvemonth ahead. (Antonio Masiello/Getty Images)
Meloni fired back, releasing a video connection connected X rejecting nan president’s narrative.
"I americium frankly stunned," Meloni said successful nan video message. "I don’t cognize why nan president of nan United States behaves this measurement toward his ain allies. But there’s 1 point he must remember: Neither I nor Italy ever beg."
Trump doubled down connected Truth Social and tied nan statement straight to Meloni’s governmental fortunes.
"Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni asked, complete and over, for a image pinch maine during nan G7 gathering successful France," Trump wrote connected Truth Social.
"She is doing poorly successful Italy pinch her level of popularity, perchance because she turned down nan United States of America... erstwhile it came to denying Iran from obtaining aliases processing a atomic limb ... She wouldn’t moreover fto america usage Italy’s landing strips aliases runways, a awesome logistical inconvenience ... Now, aft nan United States defeated Iran militarily, she wants to beryllium friends again successful bid to get her 'numbers up.' No thanks!!!"
Within hours, Meloni responded connected societal media: "As for my popularity, being your friend surely has not helped it ... My fame depends connected my expertise to take sides Italy’s nationalist interest... In immoderate case, my fame is nary of your concern. I propose you attraction connected yours."
TRUMP ‘RIGHT TO BE OUTRAGED’ BY EUROPE’S BETRAYAL ON IRAN, SAYS FORMER THATCHER ADVISOR
Rubio will recreation to Italy connected Wednesday for meetings pinch Pope Leo and Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni. (Maria Grazia Picciarella/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)
The back-and-forth marks a reversal for 2 leaders who erstwhile enjoyed a adjacent governmental alignment.
When Meloni first came to power, she positioned herself arsenic a bridge betwixt Washington and Brussels while pushing ties pinch Trump based connected shared nationalism and stances connected immigration.
"Politically, Trump has favored Meloni," Diletti noted, pointing retired that she had antecedently visited Trump’s Mar-a-Lago property successful Florida successful 2025. She was nan only European Union leader to be his 2nd inauguration.
The cracks besides appeared successful April erstwhile Trump criticized Meloni for siding pinch Pope Leo XIV’s condemnation of nan U.S. conflict pinch Iran.
On Sunday, Trump besides criticized Italy and Giorgia Meloni complete their attack to Iran, accusing nan NATO state of failing to thief face Tehran's atomic ambitions.
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"As nan 2027 Italian wide predetermination approaches, Meloni is facing a diminution successful support ratings for nan first time," Diletti explained.
"The opportunity to antagonistic a President truthful unpopular successful Europe and Italy helps bolster her support ratings and allows her to build European solidarity," he claimed.
Emma Bussey is simply a breaking news writer for Fox News Digital. Before joining Fox, she worked astatine The Telegraph pinch nan U.S. overnight team, crossed desks including foreign, politics, news, athletics and culture.
