Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni paid a surprise and unofficial visit to US President-elect Donald Trump at his Mar-a-Lago residence in Florida, according to the Prime Minister’s Office on Sunday.
Photographs released Sunday by the far-right prime minister’s office show Ms. Meloni and Donald Trump posing at the entrance to the Mar-a-Lago residence and chatting in the reception room, a Christmas tree visible in the background -plan.
These photos of the two leaders side by side were on the front page of all Italian media on Sunday.
They also show Ms. Meloni shaking hands with Florida Senator Marco Rubio.
Photo of the meeting between Giorgia Meloni and Donald Trump, on January 4, 2025, in the residence of the American president-elect at Mar-a-Lago in Florida, published on January 5, 2025 by the services of the Italian Prime Minister / Filippo ATTILI / Palazzo Chigi press office/AFP
No press release on this visit was published by the services of the head of the Italian government, who also did not respond to repeated requests for confirmation of this visit on Saturday, which the American press echoed, reporting that a film screening and a dinner marked this visit.
Several other foreign leaders – including Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban – have visited the US president-elect in recent months, whose inauguration ceremony is scheduled for January 20.
This visit by Giorgia Meloni, who heads the Fratelli d’Italia (FdI) party, comes four days before a visit to Rome by US President Joe Biden, who is due to meet Ms Meloni and, in a separate meeting, Pope Francis .
