French far-right leader Marine Le Pen has voiced her support for Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni after a sharp public dispute with U.S. President Donald Trump.
The confrontation began over the weekend when Trump mocked Meloni, claiming she had “begged” him for a joint photo during the G7 summit. He further accused her of using their interaction for domestic political gain. Meloni firmly rejected the allegations, calling them fabricated and urging Trump to focus on his own affairs.
Speaking on Wednesday to France Culture radio, Le Pen said:“He was very insulting, so I fully understand Giorgia Meloni’s reaction, which is one of national pride,” She clarified, however, that this does not represent a permanent rupture between the United States and Italy, but rather a severe cooldown of personal relations between the two leaders.
Donald Trump a été très insultant avec Giorgia Meloni, je comprends la réaction d’orgueil national qui a été la sienne.
Ce n’est pas pour autant une rupture entre les États-Unis et l’Italie, mais un rafraîchissement sévère entre les deux dirigeants. pic.twitter.com/0906KcAB3Z
— Marine Le Pen (@MLP_officiel) June 24, 2026
Distance from Washington
Although many figures within her party, the National Rally (Rassemblement National), have in the past expressed admiration for Trump and his political instincts, Le Pen herself continues to align with France’s traditional stance of maintaining distance from the United States. Recently, her protégé Jordan Bardella—who once openly praised the American president—has also adopted a more critical tone.
Le Pen said that “One doesn’t have friends when it comes to foreign relations,” said Le Pen. “One has interests, which can be common interests or conflicting ones.”
She noted that Trump is “undoubtedly the symbol of some form of political will [that] one has barely seen in Europe for decades” but that he “did the opposite of what he promised”. She made particular reference to his approach toward Iran, noting that his stance has widened the divide between the U.S. administration and European far-right parties.
