Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni paid an unofficial visit to Donald Trump at his Mar-a-Lago residence on Saturday, becoming the latest foreign leader hosted by the US president-elect before his assumption of office.
Photos released by Meloni's office on Sunday showed the Italian leader and Trump posing at the entrance of Mar-a-Lago and conversing in a reception room decorated with a Christmas tree.
Trump described Meloni as "a fantastic woman" and praised her leadership, stating, "She's really taken Europe by storm, and everyone else, and we're just having dinner tonight," as quoted by US journalists present during the event.
Reports from US media revealed that Meloni and Trump dined together and watched "The Eastman Dilemma: Lawfare or Justice," a documentary focusing on a lawyer charged for attempting to overturn the 2020 election results in favour of Trump.
Images of the two conservative leaders featured prominently on the front pages of Italian newspapers on Sunday. Meloni joined other foreign leaders, including Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, who previously visited Trump before his inauguration.
Trump's plans for introducing heavy import tariffs prompted concerns among traditional economic partners, including those in Europe, over potential negative impacts on trade relations.
Meanwhile, Elon Musk, one of Trump's top advisors, openly criticised the governments of Germany and the United Kingdom on social and traditional media. Musk's remarks caused tension across Europe. On the same day as Meloni's visit, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz condemned Musk's "erratic" comments and his support for the extreme-right AfD party.
Meloni, leader of the far-right Brothers of Italy party, prepared for a four-day visit to Rome by US President Joe Biden, where Biden planned to meet her and Pope Francis separately.
Reports also confirmed the attendance of Trump's incoming national security advisor Mike Waltz and Senator Marco Rubio, expected to serve as secretary of state. Both Meloni's and Trump's offices did not issue comments regarding the meeting.
