Giorgia Meloni latest leader to visit Trump at Mar-a-Lago

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and Donald Trump sat down for dinner and a TV doco at Mar-a-Lago over the weekend.

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni with Donald Trump at the entrance of his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida on Saturday. Picture: AFP

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni paid an unofficial visit to Donald Trump at his Mar-a-Lago residence at the weekend, the latest foreign leader hosted by the US president-elect as he prepares to take office.

“Nice evening with Donald Trump, whom I thank for the welcome. Ready to work together,” the far-right Prime Minister posted on social media, with a photograph of the two standing side by side at the entrance to his Florida home.

According to US media, the two dined and watched the film The Eastman Dilemma: Lawfare or Justice, a documentary about a lawyer who was charged for trying to overturn the 2020 election results in favour of Mr Trump.

Photos of the meeting between the two conservative leaders were on the front pages of all Italy’s newspapers on Sunday.

According to US journalists present on Saturday night, Mr Trump called Ms Meloni “a fantastic woman”.

“She’s really taken Europe by storm, and everyone else, and we’re just having dinner tonight,” he said.

Giorgia Meloni and Donald Trump with senator Marco Rubio, right, and US incoming national security adviser Mike Waltz, left, at Mar-a-Lago on Saturday. Picture: AFP

Ms Meloni is one of several foreign leaders, including Canada’s Justin Trudeau and Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, who have visited Mr Trump before he takes office.

Mr Trump’s promises of introducing heavy import tariffs have led to a scramble among traditional economic allies, including in Europe, to plan for possible negative effects on trade.

Meanwhile, one of Mr Trump’s top advisers, billionaire Elon Musk, has taken to social and traditional media to lambast the ruling governments in Germany and Britain. His comments have already ruffled feathers in Europe. The same day Ms Meloni was visiting Mr Trump, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz denounced Mr Musk’s “erratic” comments and his open support for the extreme-right AfD party.

The visit by Ms Meloni, who heads the far-right Brothers of Italy party, comes ahead of a four-day visit to Rome by US President Joe Biden, where he is expected to meet Ms Meloni and, separately, Pope Francis.

Also at Mar-a-Lago during Ms Meloni’s visit were Mr Trump’s incoming national security adviser, Mike Waltz, and Senator Marco Rubio, tapped to be Mr Trump’s secretary of state.

AP