'Despicable, Cheap Bully', 'Fresh Bullshit Served Daily': Meloni Supporters Shred Trump After His 'RESTRAINING ORDER' Post

Rome: Italy’s Defence Minister Guido Crosetto on Monday urged calm and continuity in transatlantic ties after U.S. President Donald Trump reignited a personal feud with Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni ahead of a key NATO summit.

Trump posted on Truth Social a photograph of Meloni looking up at him during a past meeting, captioned “RESTRAINING ORDER NEEDED.” The message came weeks after Meloni publicly accused the U.S. president of inventing a story in which she had “begged” him for a photograph at a G7 summit in France and issued a sharp rebuttal: "Italy and I do not beg."

With both leaders scheduled to attend the NATO summit in Turkiye this week, Crosetto sought to downplay the latest flare-up. Speaking to Italy’s Sky TG24, the minister said he had “no reaction” to Trump’s post and stressed the bigger picture.

“The fundamental thing is to maintain relations with a key ally like the USA,” Crosetto said. “People come and go but relationships remain,” he said.

Meloni herself has not yet responded to the latest social media jab.

The episode marks a sharp turn in what was once a warm political relationship. Meloni, a longtime admirer of Trump, was the only European leader to attend his 2025 inauguration. Tensions surfaced earlier this year when she criticized Trump for attacking Pope Leo XIV over the pontiff’s comments on the Iran conflict, prompting a sharp rebuke from the president who accused her of “lacking courage.”

Opposition figures in Italy were more outspoken in their criticism of Trump. Carlo Calenda, leader of the small centrist Azione party, wrote on X: “Trump is a despicable, cheap bully,” while expressing support for Meloni.

Social media reactions were mixed, reflecting the polarized views of the Trump-Meloni dynamic:

“Trump never misses a chance to dominate the headlines, even before the summit begins,” one X user wrote.

“Fresh Bullshit Served Daily,” wrote another user.

“If she’s smart she’ll ignore his infantile antics,” a third user said.

“Trump likes the Italian PM Meloni. That’s the truth,” said a fourth user.

Italian officials appear determined to prevent the personal exchange from spilling over into diplomatic relations, particularly as NATO allies prepare to meet in Turkey.

(With inputs from Reuters)

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