Italy’s foreign minister on Friday cancelled a visit to the United States over reported comments by US President Donald Trump that appeared to mock Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni.
“The grave and offensive words of President Trump … offend the whole of Italy,” Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani, who had been due to visit the US on Sunday and Monday, said on social media.
Meloni said she was “stunned” by Trump’s comments to Italian channel La7 in which, according to a transcript provided by the network, he said Meloni “wanted a picture with me so badly” at the G7 summit and he agreed only because he “felt sorry for her”.
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He also suggested that Meloni might be “happy that I talked to her, I didn’t have to talk to her”.
Meloni called what Trump said “made up”, adding: “Neither I nor Italy ever beg.”
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