EVIAN-LES-BAINS — President Donald Trump stated that Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni "begged" for a photograph with him at the G7 summit. Meloni called the claim "fabricated" and "unprovoked." The dispute originated from an interview Trump gave to an Italian journalist, which he later reiterated in a social media post stating the prime minister asked "over and over" for a photo.

In the interview, Trump said, "She wanted a photo with me so badly. I could have skipped it, but I felt sorry for her." In his social media post, Trump wrote, "She is doing poorly in Italy with her level of popularity, possibly because she turned down the United States of America, a Country that truly loves and protects Italy, when it came to denying Iran from obtaining or developing a Nuclear Weapon (But so did NATO, for that matter!)." He also wrote, "She wouldn't even let us use Italy's landing strips or runways, a great logistical inconvenience, and this despite the fact the U.S. contributes hundreds of Billions of Dollars a year to protect Italy, and other 'so-called' NATO Allies."

Meloni responded by calling the attacks "senseless." She posted a screenshot of Trump's post with a response written in English, stating, "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 depends on my ability to defend Italy's national interest, and that is exactly what I have always done." Meloni further said, "In any case, my popularity is none of your concern. I suggest you focus on yours." In a separate post in Italian, she stated she would not revisit the subject and reiterated Italy's support for the U.S. and for U.S. military bases in Italy.

Following the comments, Italian Deputy Premier and Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani canceled a planned visit to the United States. Tajani stated, "President Trump's serious and offensive words towards Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni offend all of Italy."

In other news, the Trump administration proposed a policy change affecting how the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services chooses drugs for price negotiation. The proposal aims to prevent drugmakers from avoiding Medicare price negotiation by adding active ingredients to drugs. Under current regulations, if a company adds a second drug to one eligible for negotiation, the Food and Drug Administration considers the resulting combination drug a new product. The administration is proposing to subject certain types of combination biologics to negotiation in some cases. This policy is part of an annual proposed rule that outlines the selection process for the next 20 drugs and biologics. The drugs selected for negotiation will be announced by Feb. 1, 2027, with negotiated prices taking effect in 2029.