Key facts
- Donald Trump claimed Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni sought a photo to improve her popularity.
- Trump asserted Meloni's popularity is low, partly due to her stance on Iran's nuclear program.
- Meloni denied Trump's claims and suggested he examine his own approval ratings.
- Polls indicate Meloni's party leads in Italy, but her personal favorability ratings have decreased since 2023.
- Misleading social media content misrepresented footage of Meloni receiving support from constituents.
A public dispute between Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and US President Donald Trump has ignited a debate regarding her popularity among Italian voters. The exchange began when Trump claimed Meloni "begged" for a photograph during a summit to enhance her standing, asserting her popularity was declining, partly due to her stance on Iran's nuclear program.
Meloni refuted Trump's assertions, labeling them "senseless" and suggesting he should instead address his own approval ratings. She implied that her relationship with Trump had not aided her popularity. The dispute has occurred amid broader tensions, including disagreements over the use of Sicilian air bases for US military operations in the Middle East and differing views on Pope Leo XIV.
Analysis of recent polling data presents a mixed picture of Meloni's political standing. Surveys indicate that her party, Brothers of Italy, remains the leading political force in Italy, with a YouTrend poll placing it at 28.6% of voting intentions, significantly ahead of the Democratic Party. However, personal popularity metrics suggest a more complex scenario. A YouGov poll from April found that 35% of Italians held a favorable view of Meloni, while 57% viewed her unfavorably. An earlier Ipsos survey in February recorded her approval rating at 44%.
These figures represent a slight decrease from the high favorability recorded in 2023, when Pew Research found 57% of Italians viewed her positively shortly after she assumed office. Despite this dip in personal approval, evidence does not suggest a significant political decline. Meloni's party continues to outperform its main competitors, and her personal standing is still higher than that of some European counterparts, such as French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, according to YouGov data.
The public spat also led to the circulation of misleading social media posts, some of which shared footage of Meloni being embraced by supporters and cheered by a crowd. While the footage is genuine, it was shared out of context, originally captured after Meloni attended a reunion of Alpini veterans and volunteers, not as a direct response to the dispute with Trump.