A statement by US President Donald Trump about Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has caused discussion in the Italian media, after it was reported on the program "L'Aria che tira" on La7 television and quoted by the daily La Repubblica.
According to the report, during a conversation about international developments after the G7 in Évian, Trump said that Meloni had asked for a photo with him and insisted on this meeting. In his statement quoted by the media, he said:
"He begged me to take a picture with him, I felt sorry for him."
The American president also adds that he was initially not convinced to take the photo, but later accepted the request.
The statement has attracted attention in Italian public opinion, opening discussions on how the conversation and its context have been interpreted. So far, there has been no official public reaction from the Italian side on the issue.
