Meloni and Trump surround themselves
You really like to know what in Giorgia Meloni Passes while on the armchair in front of the recently gold-plated fireplace in the Oval Office silently moves back and forth. Two hours earlier, the landlord greeted her exuberantly as one of the « real leaders of the world » and praised her « fantastic job ». But now Donald Trump apparently finds that the headlights should be aimed at him again. Almost only he talks for half an hour, while the Italian Prime Minister looks over to him with a slightly lowered head. Meloni hit her legs over one another and bent forward. Once she puts her right forearm vertically on the upper knee to support her chin on hand. Maybe it’s the jet lag. But the 48-year-old does not seem particularly happy.
The expectations of visiting the right -wing populist were great in Europe at home. The French President already had in front of her Emmanuel Macron And the British Prime Minister Keir Strander gave the strong man in the White House. But there was mostly the Ukraine war. Now the huge customs hammer is hovers over the old continent. Some observers had believed that the Italian Trump could wrap with a charm offensive – be it in favor of the entire EU or for a special treatment Italy. In fact, Trump awakens great expectations when greeting. Demonstratively friendly, he greets the prime minister in white, dressed in white at the entrance to the West Wing. « She is a great person, » he says, pointing to the Italian for the photographers. A reporter wants to know how optimistic he is to be able to settle the customs dispute. The answer goes down in the car noise. Some observers believe that the movement of the presidential lips can read a “very confident”.
Meloni tries to keep Trump happy
For the time being, 25 percent car and steel tariffs apply, and Trump has only halved the additional universal surcharge of 20 percent on all European imports to ten percent by July 9. A reporter in the cabinet hall wants to know what happens if no agreement has been found by then, where Trump and Meloni each face each other with a handful of ministers at lunch. « »Oh, there will be a trade deal, ”the president wipes the question aside:“ 100 percent! ” That sounds promising. The agencies send urge reports out. Meloni does everything to keep your hosts happy. « I am here to make the West stronger, » she advertises for transatlantic common ground. First of all, Italy will raise its defense spending from 1.5 to two percent of gross domestic product. Of course, this was agreed in NATO ten years ago and does not seem to impress Trump excessively.
« I am sure that we can do a deal and came to help, » says Meloni with a view of the trade dispute. She suggested that both sides lower the tariffs to zero. After lunch, she indicates the ideological similarities of her and the American government in front of running cameras: she emphasizes the fight against the « Woke ideology », against illegal migration and against synthetic drugs. Trump realizes that Europe has to become « a lot of wiser » when dealing with immigration. « We start with it, » replies Meloni: « Things change. »
Trump is not in a hurry when it comes to a customs deal
Then questions can be asked, and it is about all kinds of American domestic topics. Trump swaddoes about falling egg prices and Jimmy Carter, who was not as bad president as Joe Biden. It is his usual plate. He only says practically nothing about the trade war. A reporter finally wants to know whether Meloni has changed his stance. « No, » replies the President Hart: « Customs make us rich. » It doesn’t sound as if the meeting had made a breakthrough. Trump literally weighs « at a certain point in time » there will be a deal with the affected countries: « We are not in a hurry. »
After all, Meloni’s visit ends much more friendly than that of the Ukrainian President Wolodymyr Selenskyj, who had been thrown out of the White House by Trump two months ago. This is reminiscent of an Italian reporter who asks in his mother tongue whether Selenskyj was responsible for the war, as Trump had suggested. First the translation stalls. Trump doesn’t understand a word. But he shines. « That sounds great, » enthuses the president about the foreign language: « It was presented wonderfully. » He later accepts an invitation from Meloni to Rome. « We have a lot of Italians in our country, » he says as a farewell: « You voted for Trump. You like Trump. »
