Trump attacks Meloni ahead of the NATO summit in Ankara, posting a photo captioned 'A restraining order is needed', amid worsening US‑Italy ties.
US President Donald Trump posted an image of himself with Italy's Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni with the caption "Restraining order needed" in the latest escalation between to the two leaders.
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A restraining order is a precautionary measure used against stalkers, whereby a court order requires the perpetrator to keep their distance from the person subjected to their unwarranted attention.
Trump’s sarcastic reference to Meloni’s look in the photo is unmistakable.
The post appeared on the evening of Sunday 5 July, just hours before the NATO summit in Ankara, scheduled for 7 and 8 July, which both leaders are expected to attend.
According to Corriere della Sera, the government does not intend to react "to this provocation" this time.
Again, according to the Italian daily’s sources, during the night the prime minister and Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani spoke to agree on a strategy based on ignoring what is seen as a personal attack, which is considered unjustified and lacks context.
Messages of solidarity have arrived from Italian political leaders.
"Trump is a despicable two-bit bully. Full solidarity with the prime minister," wrote Azione leader Carlo Calenda on X.
"She begged me to take a photo"
The statement deepens the rift between the US president and the Italian prime minister, further cooling relations between the two countries.
Differences began to surface in spring 2026 over issues related to the management of crises in the Middle East and Iran, Trump’s criticism of Pope Leo XIV, and Italy’s increasing distance from some of the US administration’s requests within NATO.
The breaking point came on 19 June, when Donald Trump said in an interview that Meloni had "begged him to take a photo together" during the G7 and that he had agreed only "out of pity".
The Italian prime minister responded by describing the claims as "totally invented" and reiterating that "neither I nor Italy beg".
Trump’s words sparked a strong reaction in Italy and immediate diplomatic consequences, including the cancellation of Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani's visit to the United States.
Trump versus NATO, a "one-way relationship"
In recent days, Trump has launched a stinging attack on the Atlantic Alliance as a whole.
US President Donald Trump said on Thursday 2 July that it is "ridiculous" for the United States to continue its "one-way" relationship with NATO.
Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform: "They have not stood by us!!!" and that Washington’s relationship with NATO "is not reciprocal".
To support his argument, Trump showed a chart with the total of military spending from 2014 to today. According to the figures given by the US president, the United States contribution would amount to ''999 billion dollars'', while ''United Kingdom 90.5 billion, France 66.5 billion, Italy 48.8 billion and Poland 44.3 billion''.