Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni made an unofficial visit to Mar-a-Lago on Saturday to meet with US president-elect Donald Trump. The visit adds to a growing list of foreign leaders engaging with Trump ahead of his inauguration.
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Photos shared by Meloni’s office on Sunday showed the two leaders exchanging pleasantries at the entrance of Mar-a-Lago and conversing in a holiday-decorated reception room. Trump praised Meloni as “a fantastic woman” and commended her leadership, stating, “She’s really taken Europe by storm.”
The two leaders dined together and later watched The Eastman Dilemma: Lawfare or Justice, a documentary about a lawyer implicated in efforts to overturn the 2020 US presidential election.
The meeting attracted widespread attention, with images of Meloni and Trump prominently featured in Italian newspapers. Meloni joins other foreign leaders, including Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, in visiting Trump ahead of his inauguration.
Trump’s plans for imposing heavy import tariffs have raised concerns among European trade partners over potential disruptions to economic relations. On the same day, Elon Musk, one of Trump’s advisors, caused further tension by criticizing the German and UK governments. Musk’s support for Germany’s far-right AfD party led German Chancellor Olaf Scholz to condemn his actions as “erratic.”
Meloni, leader of the far-right Brothers of Italy party, is preparing for an upcoming four-day visit to Rome by US President Joe Biden. Biden is scheduled to meet separately with Meloni and Pope Francis.
Key members of Trump’s incoming administration, including national security advisor-designate Mike Waltz and potential secretary of state Senator Marco Rubio, were also reportedly present at the Mar-a-Lago meeting. However, neither Trump’s nor Meloni’s offices issued formal statements about the discussion.
