Rome: Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni on Saturday told US President Donald Trump to mind his own approval ratings after he accused his NATO ally of trying to boost her domestic standing by mending relations with Washington.
Meloni had earlier called Trump a liar on Friday after he claimed she had “begged” him for a photograph with her during this week’s Group of Seven summit in France, as reported by CBC News.
Trump repeated the charge on Saturday, misspelling her name as “Gigiorgia” in a Truth Social post that said “she wants to be friends again in order to get her ‘numbers up.'”
Meloni replied with an English-language post on Instagram: “President Trump, these constant, unprovoked attacks are senseless.”
“As for my popularity, being your friend has certainly not helped it, nor does it depend on my relationship with you,” she added. “My popularity is none of your concern. I suggest you focus on yours.”
Since taking office in 2022, Meloni’s government saw public approval recover to roughly 35 percent in opinion polls after a downward trend through 2025. Meloni’s party, Brothers of Italy, is the most popular in Italy’s polls at 28%. The main opposition, the Democratic Party, is at 22%.
Trump, who began his second presidential term in January 2025, has seen his approval rating edge up by one percentage point recently to 36 percent — still among the lowest of his political career — as some voter unease over the cost of living has eased, according to a Reuters/Ipsos poll.
In the same Truth Social message, Trump reiterated prior criticism of Italy for not permitting use of US military bases on Italian soil during the US-Israel conflict with Iran that started on Feb. 28.
Meloni pushed back, saying: “Their use is governed by agreements that we have always respected and that cannot be violated. As long as I am prime minister, Italy remains a sovereign nation.”
