Italian government/Handout via Reuters
Italy's right-wing Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni made a surprise visit to President-elect Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago resort on Saturday, just days before she's scheduled to meet with President Joe Biden.
Photos shared by the Italian government show Trump greeting Meloni and the pair posing at the entrance to the president-elect's Florida base.
While no official details of the meeting have been shared, Meloni and Trump are said to have discussed tariffs and the arrest in Iran of Cecilia Sala, an Italian journalist, Bloomberg reported, citing an unnamed person familiar with the matter.
The visit is also reported to have included a dinner and a screening of a new film called "The Eastman Dilemma: Lawfare or Justice."
"This is very exciting, I'm here with a fantastic woman, the prime minister of Italy," Trump reportedly told the crowd at Mar-a-Lago. "She's really taken Europe by storm, and everyone else, and we're just having dinner tonight."
It comes as Meloni — who received a rapturous welcome to the Palm Beach estate, according to videos circulating on social media — is set to welcome Biden to Rome for an official visit from January 9 to 12.
Meloni has been calling on EU members to carve out a positive relationship with Trump ahead of his return to office.
In a speech to the Italian parliament in December, Meloni said it was "essential to maintain a pragmatic, constructive and open approach with the new Trump administration, exploiting areas of potential and fruitful EU-U.S. cooperation and trying to prevent commercial disputes that would certainly not be good for anyone," per Politico.
She has also forged a growing bond with Elon Musk, who is set to co-lead the Department of Government Efficiency under Trump's incoming administration.
Following Trump's election win in November, Meloni took to X to announce that her "friend" Musk had been in touch.
"I am convinced that his commitment and vision will be an important resource for the United States and Italy, in a spirit of collaboration aimed at addressing future challenges," she wrote.
In June 2023, Meloni hosted Musk at the Italian prime minister's official residence, the Palazzo Chigi.
Meloni and the Tesla CEO reportedly discussed AI, birth rates, innovation, and European market rules.
The prime minister called the meeting "fruitful" and a "moment of great cordiality" in a post on X.
Ho accolto con grande piacere oggi a Palazzo Chigi @elonmusk. Un incontro molto proficuo e un momento di grande cordialità dove abbiamo affrontato alcuni temi cruciali: innovazione, opportunità e rischi dell'intelligenza artificiale, regole europee di mercato e natalità. Avanti… pic.twitter.com/MOQlirj7XC
— Giorgia Meloni (@GiorgiaMeloni) June 15, 2023
In December 2023, Musk was also the guest of honor at Meloni's "Atreju" political festival in Rome.
The topic of birth rates was on the agenda again, as Musk urged Italians and other developed nations to have more children.
For his part, Musk has called Meloni a "precious genius" who was "even more beautiful on the inside than she is on the outside."
Since his election, Trump has also welcomed Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, Argentinian President Javier Milei, and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to Mar-a-Lago.
Business Insider has contacted Meloni's office for comment.
