Trump posts 'restraining order' jab at Meloni, putting Italy in an awkward spot

Italian politics was thrown into an awkward position after Donald Trump posted a mocking image targeting Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni on social media.

Trump shared the image Monday, pairing a photo of Meloni gazing up at him with the caption "I need a restraining order." The edited image gives the impression that Meloni is unilaterally following Trump around.

Meloni has yet to issue any official response and is maintaining her silence. The Italian government, mindful of the diplomatic fallout, has also been extremely tight-lipped. Defense Minister Guido Crosetto struck a cautious tone, saying the most important thing was "to maintain relations with key allies like the United States."

The opposition, however, reacted with fury. Carlo Calenda, leader of the centrist opposition party Azione, lashed out at Trump directly, calling him a "vile, third-rate thug."

This is not the first time Trump has stirred controversy targeting Meloni. At last month's G7 summit, he claimed Meloni had "begged" him for a photo, and he also took aim at Italy over defense spending, saying the United States had protected Italy for decades but that Italy had failed to protect America and the world "when put to the test."

The two leaders clashed earlier as well. In April, after Meloni defended Pope Francis and said Trump's remarks about the pontiff were "unacceptable," Trump fired back that "the unacceptable one is her." The rift between the two leaders appears to be deepening with each exchange.