President Donald Trump escalated his roiling feud with Italian Prime ​Minister Giorgia Meloni in an embittered morning rant complaining about her lack of support during the Iran War.

Trump began his Saturday with an early-morning post, hours after choppering to Camp David for the weekend, with an embittered screed praising his deal and deriding his predecessors

He followed that up with another score-settling Truth Social message aimed at Meloni, slamming her for not allowing the US to use Italian bases and renewing his taunts about begging for a photo with him:

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni asked, over and over, for a picture with me during the G-7 meeting in France. 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!). 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. Now, after the United States defeated Iran militarily, she wants to be friends again in order to get her “numbers up.” No thanks!!! President DJT

The message comes amid a bitter brawl between the two world leaders.

It all started when Trump accusedMeloni of “begging” for a photo during the summit. The president made his comments during an interview with Italian broadcaster LA7’s White House correspondent Daniele Compatangelo.

During the phone call, Trump brought up Meloni during a discussion of Ukraine:

Trump: I’m not involved with it. We just want to have peace. How is your Prime Minister doing? How is she doing?

Compatangelo: Well, she just met you at the G7. What do you make of it? What do you make of the conversation that you had sitting on the little couch?

Trump: What did she say when she met me?

Compatangelo: I guess she was happy to meeting you and to have a friend like you?

Trump: Probably she is happy that I talked to her! I didn’t have to talk to her!

Compatangelo: tell me about the meeting?

Trump: I don’t know what to say! She begged me for a picture! She wanted a picture with me so badly. I wouldn’t have done it, but I felt sorry for her!

The claim from Trump prompted a scathing response from Meloni that was released in Italian and with an LA7 English dub:

Certain things deserve an immediate response.

Donald Trump’s statements are completely fabricated / made up.

I am frankly stunned / appalled.

I don’t know why the president of the United States behaves this way toward his own allies.

It’s not the first time this has happened, after all.

I can only say it’s a shame he doesn’t show the same determination / resolve toward the enemies of the West, toward the enemies of the United States — toward leaders with whom he, on the other hand, is much more accommodating.

But there is one thing he must remember: Italy and I do not / never beg.

Watch above via LA7 and Giorgia Meloni.

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