Trump Mocks Meloni on Truth Social With 'Restraining Order' Meme Amid Spat
Translated from German, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.
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- U.S. President Donald Trump mocked Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni on Truth Social with a meme suggesting she needs a restraining order.
- The meme followed a public dispute where Meloni condemned U.S. attacks on the Pope, and Trump expressed disappointment over Italy's lack of support in the Iran war, including a ban on U.S. planes landing in Sicily.
- This exchange precedes the NATO summit, adding tension to their already strained relationship, despite Meloni's recent attempts at diplomatic reconciliation.
Donald Trump escalated his public spat with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, posting a meme on Truth Social depicting her as overly admiring of him, with the caption "Restraining order needed." The meme implies Trump believes only a restraining order can protect him from Meloni's "advances."
This latest jab comes amid ongoing friction between the former allies. In April, Meloni criticized U.S. attacks on the Pope as "unacceptable." Trump, in turn, expressed disappointment with the Italian government's lack of support regarding the Iran war, particularly after Italy prohibited U.S. aircraft from landing at the Sigonella base in Sicily.
I and Italy never beg.
The dispute intensified after the G7 summit in France in mid-June. Trump claimed Meloni had "begged" him for a joint photo and expressed sympathy for him. Meloni swiftly refuted this in an Instagram video, stating, "I and Italy never beg." She added that their bilateral cooperation with the U.S. should return to normal and would not be jeopardized by social media discussions.
Trump's meme arrives just before the NATO summit in Turkey, further fueling a conflict that has simmered for months. The timing suggests Trump is deliberately stoking controversy ahead of the international gathering.
I think that our bilateral cooperation with the USA should return to normality.
DistantNews Editorial
Originally published by Der Spiegel in German. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.
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