Trump, apparently miffed by being given a cold shoulder by European allies during the Iran war, said Meloni's popularity has taken a dip ever since she refused the US access to Italy's landing strips or runways, which caused "a great logistical inconvenience" to American operations. The remarks came after Meloni accused Trump of fabricating a story that she had "begged" him to take a photograph with her during the recent G7 summit.