Trump Applauds Italy’s PM Meloni as a 'Fantastic Woman' During Florida Visit
Donald Trump praised Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni as a "fantastic woman" during her visit to his Mar-a-Lago residence in Palm Beach, Florida. Their meeting highlights the growing ties between Meloni and Trump's camp, with discussions potentially involving international issues like the detention of Italian journalist Cecilia Sala in Iran. Meloni's visit comes ahead of her meeting with President Biden and follows recent diplomatic engagements with world leaders, reinforcing her influence in European and global politics.
US President-elect Donald Trump praised Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni as a fantastic woman during her visit to his Mar-a-Lago residence in Palm Beach, Florida, marking her as the latest global leader to meet with him there.
This is very exciting, he told attendees. I’m here with a fantastic woman, the Prime Minister of Italy. She’s really taken Europe by storm.
Meloni, a member of the right-wing Brothers of Italy party, assumed office in October 2022 and is known to have ties to the incoming Trump administration, particularly with his ally Elon Musk.
While European powerhouses like France and Germany face political instability, Meloni’s coalition in Italy remains strong, and her conservative credentials make her a natural ally for the incoming US leader.
Trump and Meloni were accompanied by his nominees for Secretary of State and National Security Advisor, Senator Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) and Representative Mike Waltz (R-Fla.).
Though no details were disclosed about their discussions, Meloni, like other leaders, has been working to strengthen ties with the President-elect ahead of his inauguration on January 20. CNN reached out to Meloni’s office and the Trump transition team for comment.
One potential topic on the agenda could be the detention of Italian journalist Cecilia Sala, who was arrested in Iran last month. Italy’s foreign ministry confirmed that Sala, a reporter for the Italian daily Il Foglio, was detained in Tehran on December 19 for allegedly violating the laws of the Islamic Republic of Iran, according to Iranian state news agency IRNA.
Sala’s detention has created a diplomatic challenge for Italy, with Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani emphasizing that the government is working tirelessly to secure her release.
As Meloni’s relationship with Trump’s camp grows, Andrea Stroppa, a cybersecurity expert and Musk ally in Rome, posted a fake AI-generated image on X of Meloni standing alongside Trump and Musk, all dressed in attire reminiscent of the Roman Empire.
Meloni will also meet with President Joe Biden during his visit to Rome this week. According to a White House press statement, Biden will thank her for her strong leadership of the G7 over the past year and discuss pressing global challenges.
Her visit to Florida follows a recent dinner with Trump and Musk during the reopening of Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris, an experience Trump later described positively to the New York Post.
While Trump and Meloni share similar political views, they do not align on every global issue. Meloni has been one of Ukraine’s staunchest supporters, meeting with President Volodymyr Zelensky a dozen times since Russia’s invasion.
In the summer of 2023, Meloni and Musk developed a strong friendship, with Musk headlining the Brothers of Italy political convention, Atreju, in December 2022.
Argentina’s libertarian President Javier Milei was the first world leader to visit Trump’s Mar-a-Lago after his re-election. Other notable visitors have included Hungary’s Viktor Orbán and Canada’s Justin Trudeau.
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