Trump-Meloni Feud Casts Shadow Over US-Italy Ties: 5 Times He Sparred With World Leaders
Trump-Meloni Feud Casts Shadow Over US-Italy Ties: 5 Times He Sparred With World Leaders Published By, Last Updated: June 19, 2026, 22:43 IST Trump's feud
Trump-Meloni Feud Casts Shadow Over US-Italy Ties: 5 Times He Sparred With World Leaders Published By, Last Updated: June 19, 2026, 22:43 IST Trump's feud with Italy's Giorgia Meloni marked the latest in a long list of his acrimonious public spats with world leaders. Rapid Read File photo of Italian PM Giorgia Meloni and US President Donald Trump in the Oval Office of the White House. (Image: Reuters) US President Donald Trump sparked a diplomatic row with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni by claiming that she “begged" him for a picture at the G7 Summit, prompting a fierce clapback by Meloni and her government. After Trump said he took a photo with Meloni because he “felt sorry for her“, Meloni hit back by accusing him of fabricating the story and affirmed that neither she nor Italy begged others. This feud marked the latest in a long list of Trump’s acrimonious public interactions with world leaders. Trump’s diplomatic style has long been marked by blunt personal remarks that often depart from traditional norms of diplomacy.
He has gone beyond policy disagreements to criticise at even his closest allies. Several leaders, including e Canadian PM Justin Trudeau and French President Emmanuel Macron, have been targets of Trump’s less-than-diplomatic remarks. ALSO READ: From Vocal Supporter To Distant Partner: How The Trump-Meloni Relationship Evolved Over The Years Emmanuel Macron Macron has been a frequent target in Trump’s crosshairs, often ranging from policy criticisms to deeply personal remarks. Trump has gone as far as to criticise Macron’s marriage, saying his wife “treats him extremely badly", remarks that were criticised even by Macron’s political opponents. Trump also criticised Macron’s reluctance to join the Iran war with a fake French accent after the French President criticised Washington’s approach. Justin Trudeau Trump has often criticised former Canadian PM Justin Trudeau, repeatedly mocking him as “Governor Trudeau" while threatening to make Canada the “51st state" of the US. In 2018, Trump abruptly retracted US support for the joint statement of the G7 Summit in Canada, accusing Trudeau of acting “meek and mild".
His remarks threatened America’s ties with its neighbour and one of its closest allies. Volodymyr Zelenskyy In one of the most dramatic moments of Trump’s diplomacy, a press conference in the White House focusing on the Ukraine war turned into a shouting match between the US president and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. During the disastrous White House meeting, Trump and Vice President JD Vance accused Zelenskyy of showing disrespect to the US, ‘gambling with World War III’ and driving relations with Kyiv’s most important wartime ally to a new low. Angela Merkel German Chancellor Angela Merkel was another frequent target of Trump’s criticism. He repeatedly criticised Germany over trade imbalances, defence spending and its reliance on Russian energy. Trump repeatedly criticised Merkel’s open-door immigration policy as “tragic" or “insane" and accused her of “ruining Germany." Giorgia Meloni The latest Trump feud took place with Meloni after he claimed that she “begged" him for a photograph at the recent G7 Summit in France. Meloni hit back sharply, saying this was not the first time the US president has made disparaging remarks about his own allies.
The BriefWire