Trump reignites feud with Italy’s Meloni: ‘Restraining order needed’
President Donald Trump has seemingly reignited his public feud with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni by sharing a meme on Truth Social depicting the two leaders, weeks after a diplomatic row over his claim that she had “begged” him for a photograph.
The image, posted Sunday, showed Trump alongside Meloni, who is looking up at him, overlaid with the caption: “Restraining Order Needed.” The meme appeared to joke that the Italian prime minister had been overly eager to seek Trump’s attention.
Newsweek contacted Melon’s office, the Italian Foreign Ministry, the U.S. embassy in Italy and the Italian embassy in the U.S by email, and the White House via online form outside normal working hours for comment.
The meme appeared without additional commentary and was among a flurry of Truth Social posts shared by the president over the weekend.
It suggests Trump is continuing a dispute that had appeared to subside after the exchange of statements last month.
It also comes shortly before Trump and Meloni are expected to attend the upcoming North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) summit, where the two leaders could meet in person for the first time since their public disagreement.
How the Trump-Meloni Feud Began
Trump’s post marks the latest escalation in a dispute that erupted after last month’s 51st G7 summit.
The dispute began after Trump told Italian broadcaster La7 that Meloni had “begged” him to take a picture with her at the G7 summit and later repeated the claim on Truth Social.
“She wanted a picture with me so badly,” Trump said, as reported by Newsweek. “I wouldn’t have taken it, but I felt sorry for her.”
Italy’s foreign minister canceled a planned visit to the United States over the comments and Meloni forcefully rejected the allegation, calling it “completely made-up” and saying: “Neither I nor Italy ever beg.” She also criticized Trump for what she described as treating allies more harshly than America’s adversaries.
Trump subsequently doubled down, claiming Meloni had asked “over and over” for a photograph and suggesting she wanted to boost her approval ratings.
As reported by Newsweek, he also criticized Italy’s position on U.S. military operations against Iran and accused Meloni of doing “poorly in Italy with her level of popularity,” claiming it was because Italy had not become involved in the U.S. and Israel’s war with Iran, saying:
“Now, after the United States defeated Iran militarily, she wants to be friends again in order to get her ‘numbers up.’ No thanks!!!” prompting a fresh response from the Italian prime minister.
Meloni replied that defending Italy’s national interests was her responsibility and told Trump that her popularity was “none of your concern.”
What Polls Show
Although Trump suggested Meloni’s popularity had declined in Italy, polling examined by Newsweek found a more nuanced picture. While Meloni’s approval ratings had eased from earlier highs, she remained one of Italy’s most popular political leaders and continued to outperform many domestic rivals.
Trump, meanwhile, has remained a polarizing figure in U.S. polling, with approval ratings varying considerably across surveys and often closely divided along partisan lines.
Surveys suggest the two leaders enjoy comparable levels of favorability and approval among their electorates.
A recent YouGov survey put Trump’s net favorability at -17.5 among registered U.S. voters, with 40.6 percent viewing him favorably and 58.1 percent unfavorably. The same pollster gave Meloni a net favorability rating of -17 in Italy. However, Meloni performed better on job approval, polling at 44 percent in an Ipsos survey, compared with Trump’s 36 percent approval in recent Reuters/Ipsos and Marist polls.
