Italy's Meloni pays surprise visit to Trump

ROME

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni paid an unofficial surprise visit to President-elect Donald Trump at his Mar-a-Lago Florida residence, according to her office on Jan. 5.

Photos sent by the office of the far-right prime minister early yesterday showed Meloni and Trump posing at the entrance to Mar-a-Lago and chatting in a reception room, a Christmas tree visible in the background.

Her office provided no statement, nor did it respond to repeated requests for confirmation of the Jan. 4 visit, which U.S. media reported included a film screening and dinner.

Photos of the two conservative leaders side by side were on the front pages of all Italy's newspapers yesterday.

Meloni is one of several foreign leaders, including Canada's Justin Trudeau and Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, who have paid visits to Trump, who is due to be inaugurated for the second time on Jan. 20.

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

Photographs of Meloni provided by her office also showed her shaking hands with Florida Senator Marco Rubio.

Meloni is seen as a potentially strong partner for Trump given her conservative credentials and the stability of the right-wing coalition she heads in Italy. She has also forged a close relationship with billionaire tech CEO Elon Musk, a close Trump ally who spent more than a quarter-billion dollars to help him win the election.