U.S. President Donald Trump escalated tensions once again with a social media post targeting Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni ahead of NATO's summit in Turkey this week.
Trump shared a photo on Truth Social of Meloni looking up at him with the caption "DEPORTATION ORDER NEEDED."
Meloni had accused the U.S. president of fabricating a story after Trump said in an interview with an Italian television station last month that she had "begged" him for a photo at the G7 summit in France.
Italian Defense Minister Guido Crosetto said in a statement to Sky TV that he did not react to the post, stating, "The fundamental thing is to maintain relations with a key ally like the U.S."
"People come and go, but relationships remain."
Harsher reactions came from the opposition. Carlo Calenda, leader of the small Azione party, expressed support for Meloni on X, calling Trump a "disgusting, cheap bully."
Meloni was once an ardent supporter of Trump and was the only European leader to attend his 2025 inauguration. However, this year, after she criticized Trump's harsh outburst against Pope Leo over the Iran conflict, she faced accusations of "cowardice" from the U.S. president.