Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni told US President Donald Trump on Saturday to look after his own popularity after he accused his NATO ally of trying to boost her domestic ratings by repairing ties with Washington.
Trump renews accusations
The US president insisted on Saturday that Meloni had requested “over and over” for a photo with him at a G7 meeting earlier this week. He repeated the assertion on his Truth Social platform, misspelling her name as “Gigiorgia” and claiming that “she wants to be friends again in order to get her ‘numbers up’.”
Meloni had accused Trump on Friday of being a liar for alleging that she had “begged” him for a photo during the Group of Seven summit in France.
Meloni’s response
Meloni responded on Instagram in English, saying: “President Trump, these constant, unprovoked attacks are senseless.” She added: “My popularity is none of your concern. I suggest you focus on yours.”
She also told Trump that “being his friend has certainly not helped” her popularity.
Popularity ratings
Meloni’s government, which took office in 2022, has seen public approval rise in opinion surveys to around 35 percent after a steady decline in 2025. Her Brothers of Italy party leads polls at around 28 percent, with the opposition Democratic Party at about 22 percent.
Trump, who was sworn in in January 2025, saw his approval rating tick up by one percentage point in recent days to 36 percent, still near the lowest levels of his political career, as public dissatisfaction over the cost of living grew less intense, according to a Reuters/Ipsos poll.
Military bases dispute
Trump repeated earlier criticism of Rome for not allowing the use of US military bases in Italy during the war with Iran that the US and Israel began at the end of February. Meloni responded: “Their use is governed by agreements that we have always respected and that cannot be violated. As long as I am prime minister, Italy remains a sovereign nation.”
