PALM BEACH, Fla. — On Saturday, President-elect Donald Trump welcomed Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni during her visit to his Mar-a-Lago estate.
This meeting follows the recent engagement with Argentine President Javier Milei, who was the first global leader to visit Trump post his Election Day triumph in November.
Other notable figures such as Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Hungary’s Prime Minister Viktor Orbán have also traveled to Florida to meet with the president-elect.
During the gathering, Trump attended a screening of a documentary that highlights challenges faced by conservative attorneys within the legal framework.
Trump arrived in the grand ballroom at approximately 7 p.m. and returned roughly two hours later after dining.
While addressing the audience, he expressed enthusiasm by stating, “This is very exciting,” and added, “I’m here with a fantastic woman, the prime minister of Italy. She’s really taken Europe by storm, and everyone else, and we’re just having dinner tonight.”
In attendance were both Meloni and Trump’s selection for the incoming administration’s secretary of state, Senator Marco Rubio from Florida.
Also present were Congressman Mike Waltz, whom Trump has chosen as his national security adviser, alongside Scott Bessent, his nominee for the Treasury Department.
Meloni’s visit follows a concerning incident involving Italian journalist Cecilia Sala, who was detained by Iranian authorities while covering stories in Tehran last month.
This situation has led to escalating tensions between Italy and Iran, with the latter demanding the release of an Iranian businessman recently arrested in Milan on a U.S. warrant linked to a drone attack in Jordan that resulted in the deaths of three American servicemen.
Simultaneously, President Joe Biden is scheduled to travel to Rome for discussions with Meloni, along with an audience with Pope Francis, starting Thursday.
According to the White House, Biden’s meeting with Meloni aims to “underscore the strength of the U.S.-Italy relationship” and will provide an opportunity for the president to express gratitude for her exemplary leadership within the G7 over the preceding year.
