'Neither I Nor Italy Ever Beg' | Giorgia Meloni Slams Donald Trump's Photo Claim | N18G | 4K

[00:00:03]Behind the smiles and camaraderie, [music] the G7 Summit, the backdrop for a major diplomatic clash involving US [music] President Donald Trump and Italian Prime Minister Georgia Meloni.

[00:00:18]It started with Trump telling an Italian talk show that Meloni had begged him to take a photo with her at the G7 Summit.

[00:00:27]He said, "She's probably happy I talked to her.

[00:00:31]I didn't have to talk to her. She begged me to take a picture with her.

[00:00:36]She wanted a picture with me so badly.

[00:00:39]I wouldn't have taken it, but I felt sorry for her."

[00:00:43]>> [music] >> Meloni promptly hit back, accusing her one-time close ally of fabricating a story about her.

[00:00:54]Releasing a video on her X handle, she saw it. It's not the first time Trump has [music] made disparaging remarks about his own allies. Meloni said neither she nor Italy [music] ever begged.

[00:01:15]>> [music] >> The situation only escalated. Italy's Deputy Prime Minister Antonio Tajani canceled his [music] upcoming visit to the US, calling Trump's recent remarks offensive >> [music] >> to entire Italy.

[00:01:57]Meloni and Trump, both right-wing leaders, have been known to be friends for years.

[00:02:03]In fact, she was the only European leader invited to his inauguration last year.

[00:02:10]But recently, both have been on collision path following the Iran war.

[00:02:15]The Italian government refused to give US permission to use an airbase in Sicily for raids during the war.

[00:02:23]Trump accused Italy of not being helpful and said Meloni had changed.

[00:02:31]Then Meloni criticized Trump for attacking Pope Leo and claiming that the pontiff was weak on crime and terrible for foreign policy after he questioned Trump's war on Iran.

[00:02:45]That in turn prompted a blunt rebuke from the US president who accused her of lacking courage.

[00:02:52]At the G7 summit, Meloni said that her relationship with Trump was unchanged.

[00:03:23]>> [music] >> Now, with the latest blow-up, ties between the US and Italy could very well be hitting rock bottom.

[00:04:00]>> [music]