Italy's Meloni tells Trump to focus on his own popularity as row rumbles on

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni told U.S. President Donald Trump on Saturday to focus on his own popularity after he accused his NATO ally of seeking to improve her domestic standing by repairing ties with Washington.

The exchange marked an escalation in a public dispute between the two leaders following this week's Group of Seven summit in France.

Meloni had accused Trump on Friday of being a liar after he alleged that she had "begged" him for a photo with him during the summit.

Trump repeated the assertion on Saturday in a post on his Truth Social platform, misspelling her name as "Gigiorgia" and writing that "she wants to be friends again in order to get her 'numbers up'".

Meloni responded in English in a post on Instagram, saying: "President Trump, these constant, unprovoked attacks are senseless."

"My popularity is none of your concern," she added. "I suggest you focus on yours."

Meloni's government, which took office in 2022, has seen public approval rise in opinion surveys to around 35% after a steady decline in 2025. Her Brothers of Italy party leads polls at around 28%, compared with about 22% for the opposition Democratic Party.

Trump, who was sworn in in January 2025, saw his approval rating rise by one percentage point in recent days to 36%, according to a Reuters/Ipsos poll, although it remained near the lowest levels of his political career as concerns over the cost of living eased somewhat.

Italy's first female prime minister said on Saturday that "being his friend has certainly not helped" her popularity.

Trump also repeated earlier criticism of Rome for not allowing the use of U.S. military bases in Italy during the war with Iran that the United States 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."