‘Restraining order needed’: Has Trump teased Meloni ahead of NATO Summit?
Fresh post may reignite feud between US president and Italian PM at the upcoming NATO Summit
In what could spark a fresh war of words with Giorgia Meloni, US President Donald Trump has posted an edited picture of them together along with a caption that suggests that the Italian prime minister is obsessed with him and needs a restraining order.
Fake photo, incendiary caption
“RESTRAINING ORDER NEEDED,” screams the caption to the photo in which a smiling Meloni looks up at Trump.
The post can trigger a firestorm at the upcoming NATO in Turkey where both leaders are expected to meet.
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The meme was part of a series of posts that the American president made on Sunday (July 5), including another falsified image of former president Barack Obama and his wife, Michelle Obama, waving before boarding an Air Force One that had been spray-painted with graffiti.
Feud over ‘begged for pictures’ remark
Trump’s teasing meme is a continuation of his feud with Meloni, who he claims begged “over and over” for a photo with him during the recent G7 summit.
In his first such post, Trump claimed that Meloni badly wanted a photo with him at the G7 Summit while suggesting that he agreed because he “felt sorry for her”.
The Italian prime minister issued a tart reply calling Trump’s claims false, asserting that neither she nor Italy ever begs and wondering why the US president behaves this way with his own allies.
‘Unprovoked attacks,’ says Meloni
But that didn’t stop Trump in his tracks. In a span of days, he reiterated his claim that Meloni did ask him for a photo “over and over” because she was doing poorly in Italy, and a photo with him will bring her numbers up on the popularity chart.
Also read: ‘My popularity not your concern’, Meloni snaps as Trump reiterates selfie claim
Meloni responded by calling Trump’s claims “unprovoked attacks,” while asking him to worry about his own popularity instead of hers.
The feud has also affected US-Italy diplomatic ties, with Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani cancelling his planned visit to Washington in its wake.