Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni traveled to Florida to meet with President-elect Donald Trump yesterday, as the prominent European leader aimed to strengthen relations with Mr. Trump ahead of his inauguration set for 20 January.
Upon her arrival at Mr. Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort, Ms. Meloni was greeted with applause following Mr. Trump’s introduction, as captured in videos posted on social media by reporters and others.
This visit takes place just days before her scheduled meeting with US President Joe Biden during her trip to Rome next week.
Mr. Trump emerged victorious against Democrat Kamala Harris in the November election and is preparing for his return to the White House.
Ms. Meloni’s office has chosen not to comment on the reports.
Her conservative credentials and the stability of the right-wing coalition she leads in Italy make her a potentially strong ally for Mr. Trump.
Additionally, she has developed a close rapport with billionaire tech CEO Elon Musk, a staunch Trump ally who contributed over a quarter-billion dollars to support his election campaign.
“This is very exciting. I’m here with a fantastic woman, the prime minister of Italy,” Mr. Trump expressed to the Mar-a-Lago audience, as reported by a media pool. “She’s really taken Europe by storm.”
Following their greetings, Mr. Trump and Ms. Meloni watched a documentary that investigates the criminal probes and legal challenges faced by John Eastman, a former Trump attorney who played a pivotal role in Mr. Trump’s failed attempts to contest his 2020 election defeat.
Among the significant challenges facing Ms. Meloni is the recent arrest of Italian journalist Cecilia Sala in Iran on 19 December.
Ms. Sala’s detention occurred three days after Iranian businessman Mohammad Abedini was apprehended at Milan’s Malpensa airport under a US warrant for allegedly supplying drone components implicated in a 2023 assault that claimed the lives of three American service members in Jordan.
Iran has denied any involvement in the attack.
On Friday, Iran’s foreign ministry summoned Italy’s ambassador in response to Mr. Abedini’s detention, according to Iranian state media reports.
Ms. Meloni is the latest in a series of foreign leaders to visit Mr. Trump in Florida since the 5 November election.
He has also hosted Argentinian President Javier Milei, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
