A shocking backstage revelation is shaking the corridors of international diplomacy, sparking a head-on clash between Rome and Washington. Reached by phone by Daniele Compatangelo, the Washington correspondent for La7, Donald Trump released highly controversial statements during this morning's broadcast of the program L’Aria che tira. Commenting on their recent face-to-face meeting on the sidelines of the G7 summit in Evian - their first encounter since tensions arose over the U.S. leader's attacks on Pope Leo XIV - Trump dismissed the significance of the meeting with sharp words: "I wasn't obligated to talk to her. She begged me to take a picture with her. She wanted a photo with me so badly. I might not have even done it, but I felt sorry for her." Beyond the personal attack on the Italian leader, Trump unequivocally condemned EU policies, labeling wind energy a failure and asserting that Europeans "got everything wrong on energy and everything wrong on immigration."
The response from Giorgia Meloni was swift, arriving via a video published on her social media channels. "Donald Trump's statements are totally fabricated. I am frankly appalled," the Prime Minister stated firmly, adding that "myself and Italy never beg." Meloni emphasized the need for an immediate response, expressing bitterness over the White House's attitude: "I don't know why the U.S. President behaves this way with allies. It is not the first time this has happened; I can only say it's a pity he doesn't show the same determination with the enemies of the West."
Trump's attack immediately united Italian political forces around the Prime Minister, triggering a widespread wave of institutional solidarity. The sharpest and most concrete reaction came from Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Antonio Tajani, who officially announced the cancellation of his upcoming diplomatic mission to Miami, where he was scheduled to attend a bilateral business forum with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio. "The grave and offensive words of President Trump toward Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni offend all of Italy," Tajani wrote on social media. "For this reason, I have decided to cancel my visit to the United States, which was planned for June 21st and 22nd."