On the eve of a key NATO summit, US Presient Donald Trump reignited his feud with Italy's Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni by sharing a doctored image on Truth Social, captioned “RESTRAINING ORDER NEEDED.” The altered image is based on genuine G7 footage but changes Meloni's facial expression to make her appear enamoured with Trump. This new jab follows weeks of bitter public clashes between the two leaders, following Trump’s claims she "begged" him for a photo.
The meme is based on authentic video from the G7 summit, where US President Donald Trump, Italian PM Giorgia Meloni and other world leaders were gathered. In the original clip, European Council President Antonio Costa jokes, "So you're friends again", prompting Meloni to laugh and reply, "We have always been friends."
Trump's post uses that moment, but the image has been cropped to remove other leaders from the frame. More significantly, Meloni's facial expression has been altered. In the authentic footage, she does not make the enamoured-looking expression shown in the meme, suggesting the image was manipulated using photo or AI editing tools.
An uncropped version of the edited image has circulated on social media since last month with visual details matching the original G7 footage – apart from Meloni's altered face.
Trump's latest post follows weeks of escalating tensions between the two leaders.
Relations deteriorated after Italy refused to allow US military aircraft carrying weapons for the Iran war to use a Sicilian airbase without parliamentary approval. The dispute deepened when Trump criticised Pope Leo over the pontiff's condemnation of the war, prompting Meloni to call the attack "unacceptable".
Although the pair appeared to strike a friendlier tone during the G7 summit, Trump later claimed to Italian television that Meloni had "begged" for a photo and he obliged because he "felt sorry for her". Meloni swiftly rejected the allegation as "completely fabricated", saying, "Neither Italy nor I ever beg". The war of words continued when Trump doubled down on his claim and criticised Meloni's domestic popularity. She responded by calling his "constant, unprovoked attacks" senseless and said her approval ratings were "none of his concern".
The exchange marks a sharp reversal for two leaders who were once close allies. Meloni, an early supporter of Trump, was the only European leader to attend his 2025 inauguration.
She has not publicly responded to Trump's latest post. Both leaders are expected to attend this week's NATO summit in Turkey, where they could meet for the first time since their increasingly public dispute.
