Trump says 'restraining order needed' for Italy PM Giorgia Meloni in fresh social media attack

US President Donald Trump has escalated his public feud with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni by sharing a photograph of the two leaders on Truth Social with the caption, "RESTRAINING ORDER NEEDED."

The post, shared on Sunday (local time), marks the latest chapter in an increasingly public dispute between the two leaders, who are expected to attend the NATO summit in Turkey later this week.

Meloni had not publicly responded to Trump's latest post at the time of writing.

Dispute Followed G7 Summit

The latest exchange comes weeks after tensions surfaced following the 52nd G7 Summit in France.

Trump had claimed during an interview with an Italian television channel that Meloni had "begged" him for a photograph. The Italian Prime Minister firmly rejected the allegation, saying, "Neither I nor Italy ever beg."

The disagreement intensified further on June 22, when Trump criticised NATO members, including Meloni, for not joining efforts against what he described as Iran's “very serious Nuclear Threat.”

In a Truth Social post, Trump accused several US allies of failing to support Washington despite benefiting from decades of American security commitments, expressing frustration over their reluctance to become directly involved in confronting Iran.

Italy Stresses Importance Of US Ties

Despite Trump's latest social media attack, the Italian government sought to play down the controversy.

"I did not have any reaction (to the post), the fundamental thing is to maintain relations with a key ally like the USA," Italy's Defence Minister Guido Crosetto told Sky TV.

He added, "People come and go but relationships remain."

Meanwhile, opposition leader Carlo Calenda, who heads the Azione party, strongly criticised Trump, writing on X, “Trump is a despicable, cheap bully.”

From Allies To Public Rivals

Meloni was once considered one of Trump's closest allies in Europe and was the only European leader to attend his inauguration in 2025.

However, relations between the two have deteriorated in recent months. Earlier this year, Meloni criticised Trump after he lashed out at Pope Leo over the pontiff's condemnation of the Iran conflict. Trump subsequently accused the Italian leader of lacking courage.

Despite the growing personal tensions, Meloni has repeatedly stressed that Italy's relationship with the United States goes beyond individual political leaders.

Speaking earlier, she said, "These relationships don't begin or end because of who happens to be in power at a particular moment."

Drawing a comparison with reality television, she added, “We sometimes talk about foreign policy as if it were 'Temptation Island'. Foreign policy is more complex than that.”

Speaking to The Wall Street Journal, Carlo Fidanza, a politician from Meloni's Brothers of Italy party, described the Prime Minister as someone who is willing to defend her principles.

"She can be very kind and warm. But when it comes to standing up for her beliefs, and defending her dignity or that of her country, she doesn't hold back. She is reasonable, but she can also be tough if you cross her," Fidanza said.

The Wall Street Journal noted that Meloni's combination of conservative politics and pragmatic governance has helped provide Italy with a relatively stable government. While her Brothers of Italy party champions traditional family values, she has also adopted pro-NATO, pro-American and fiscally prudent positions, while explicitly distancing herself from the party's far-right past.