Donald Trump’s meme feud with Italy’s Meloni heats up ahead of NATO summit
U.S. President Donald Trump posted a meme on Truth Social showing Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni looking up at him with the caption “RESTRAINING ORDER NEEDED,” reviving a dispute that began after Trump claimed Meloni had begged for a photo at the G7 in France. The image was shared days before the NATO summit in Ankara, Turkey.
Meloni arrived late to the NATO leaders’ dinner in Ankara but later sat at the same table as Trump, Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and other heads of state. After the post, Italy’s defence minister Guido Crosetto said he had no reaction and stressed the importance of maintaining relations with the United States, adding “people come and go, but relationships remain.” Foreign minister Antonio Tajani echoed the stance, saying Italy would not respond to individual remarks. Opposition figures, including Carlo Calenda, denounced Trump’s comments as “despicable, cheap bullying.”
During a press conference in Ankara, Trump described Meloni as “a good person” but criticized her for refusing to support U.S. actions in Iran. The summit itself focuses on defence‑spending targets, the war in Ukraine, Iranian tensions and security in the Strait of Hormuz, with both leaders expected to attend bilateral meetings.