She was one of the first European leaders to congratulate him on his election win in November, and Trump reportedly called Meloni a “real live wire” after spending “a lot” of time with her in Paris earlier this month at the reopening of the Notre-Dame cathedral.
Trump also said Thursday that he is ready to work with Meloni. “She’s fantastic. She’s a fantastic leader and person,” he said.
On Trump’s threat to impose tariffs on European goods, Meloni previously said that the EU should focus on itself instead of “what the U.S. can do” for Europe.
“Don’t ask what the U.S. can do for you, ask what Europe should do for itself,” she said ahead of the EU leaders’ meeting in Budapest on Nov. 8.
“Europe must find a balance … I’m thinking of the issues of competitiveness, tariffs … ,” she added.
