PD president Bonaccini deletes Tajani Maga-cap photo Forza Italia calls fake

The post and its removal

On 5 November Stefano Bonaccini, president of the Partito Democratico (PD), posted a photo of Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Antonio Tajani wearing a red cap printed with 'Maga', the slogan of Donald Trump's campaign. The caption read 'Mai stati trumpiani' ('We were never Trumpians'), a jab at the centre-right, which Il Fatto Quotidiano says had distanced itself from the US president after Republicans lost the midterm elections. The same outlet reported that the post had drawn 25,000 likes and more than 4,000 comments on Facebook alone. The row erupted on the morning of 7 November, when Forza Italia demanded that Bonaccini apologise and take the image down. Bonaccini then deleted the post, saying he did so because of Forza Italia's request and to avoid misunderstandings, while still calling the picture an ironic meme. He argued that Tajani had held the cap in his hand at public events, as widely documented.

Forza Italia calls the image fake

Forza Italia's spokesman Raffaele Nevi demanded an apology and removal, and urged all parties to show solidarity with Tajani, who lives under a protection regime that heavily limits his freedom. Nevi also said that Tajani, who receives threats, risks his life in his role.

“Today we have reached the lowest level in political debate in the history of the Republic.”

Senator Maurizio Gasparri, who chairs the Senate foreign affairs and defence committee, said the picture was produced with artificial intelligence and that Tajani never wore the cap, which had been handed out as a gadget and which he left with the person who offered it. Gasparri went further in comments to La Repubblica, calling Bonaccini a liar and saying the conduct should be highlighted in the parliamentary bodies to which he belongs. He also asked Elly Schlein to censure the PD president.

“It is an improper and disloyal way of using technological tools to defame opponents and spread lies.”

Deborah Bergamini, Forza Italia's national deputy secretary and head of its foreign affairs desk, said Bonaccini had a duty to apologise and delete what she called an unworthy post. Stefano Benigni, a party vice secretary, said 'this confirms the worst left there has ever been', while the deputy Paolo Emilio Russo described an 'attack doubly dangerous' because it hits the head of Italian diplomacy, already a target of terrorists and hackers.

Government response and AI rules

Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni issued a note expressing concern about the circulation of false images, which she said were also spread by opposition figures.

“Freedom of expression can never become a breeding ground for disinformation.”

Her note also expressed solidarity with Tajani after reports about pro-Russian hacker activity and the spread on the dark web of personal data concerning him. Alberto Barachini, undersecretary with responsibility for information and publishing, called it 'grave' for the PD president to post a fake picture of the vice prime minister and foreign minister. Barachini said the use of AI by politicians to denigrate institutional figures should be condemned, and he asked Agcom to consider rules on AI in its guidelines for the next election. He recalled that he had already asked parties not to use digitally altered voices and faces in campaigning.

Earlier clash over the cap

The cap had already caused a dispute in March. In a hearing before the Foreign Affairs and Defence committees, Giuseppe Conte criticised Tajani for carrying the Maga cap at the first meeting of the Board of Peace in Washington. Tajani replied that the cap had been a gift. Forza Italia's current position follows the same line: the cap was never worn, and the image is false.