Trump Hosts Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni at Mar-a-Lago
President-elect Donald Trump welcomed Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni to his Mar-a-Lago club in Palm Beach, Florida, on Saturday evening. This marks another high-profile visit to the estate, following a similar meeting with Argentine President Javier Milei, the first world leader to meet with Trump after his Election Day victory in November. Other global leaders such as Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán have also visited the club to meet with the president-elect.
During the event, Trump appeared at a screening of a documentary that discussed challenges faced by conservative lawyers in the legal system. He entered the grand ballroom around 7 p.m. and later returned after having dinner. In his remarks, Trump spoke highly of Prime Minister Meloni, saying, “This is very exciting. 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.”
The screening event was attended by several of Trump’s key allies, including Florida Senator Marco Rubio, whom Trump has selected as his choice for Secretary of State, Florida Representative Mike Waltz, who has been tapped as the national security adviser, and Scott Bessent, nominated for Treasury Secretary.
Meloni’s visit to Mar-a-Lago comes amidst heightened diplomatic tensions following the detention of Italian journalist Cecilia Sala by Iranian authorities while reporting in Tehran last month. Sala’s arrest has intensified relations between Italy and Iran, with the latter demanding the release of an Iranian businessman detained in Milan, who is linked to a deadly drone attack in Jordan last year.
Meanwhile, U.S. President Joe Biden is scheduled to travel to Rome to meet with Prime Minister Meloni and Pope Francis beginning Thursday. The White House has stated that the meeting will emphasize the strength of the U.S.-Italy relationship and highlight Biden’s gratitude for Meloni’s leadership of the G7 over the past year.
