President Trump expressed optimism Thursday that the US and European Union can reach a trade deal as he welcomed Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni to the White House.

Meloni, 48, was the first European leader to meet with Trump, 78, since he announced last week that his “Liberation Day” suite of reciprocal tariffs would be paused for 90 days.

“I’m sure we can make a deal, and I am here to help with that,” Meloni, dressed in all white, told Trump ahead of lunch in the Cabinet Room.

“I cannot lock this deal in the name of the European Union,” she added. “My goal would be to invite President Trump to pay an official visit to Italy and understand if there’s a possibility when it comes to organize also such a meeting with Europe.”

“There will be a trade deal, 100%,” Trump responded, “but it will be a fair deal.”

President Trump greets Italy’s Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni upon her arrival at the White House, Thursday, April 17, 2025, in Washington. AP

President Trump and members of his cabinet sit down for lunch with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni. AP

The leaders shared a warm back-and-forth all day about the similarities between Italy and the US — while reiterating an economic deal will one day be on the table.

“She’s a fantastic person and she’s doing a great job,” Trump said at one point of Meloni, who has headed Italy’s government since the fall of 2022 and whose nationalist and anti-immigration positions have led to frequent comparisons with the American president.

In the Oval Office, Meloni stated that the two countries share similar issues with illegal immigration, “woke” and Diversity, Equity and Inclusion policies — and that she wanted to make the “West great again.”

The White House views Meloni, a close ally of the administration, as the best path for the president to enter talks with the 27-member bloc on a so-called “bespoke” trade deal.

“President Trump will simply focus on how Italy’s marketplace can be opened up, but also how they can help us with the rest of Europe,” an administration official said Thursday morning.

Trump said he’s “very” confident about getting a deal with the EU. REUTERS

“We certainly see her as a valuable interlocutor.”

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent revealed in the Oval that the Trump economic team is having numerous calls with countries willing to negotiate the steep tariff rates announced by Trump April 2 that shocked the global economy.

“We’ve got a process in place. We’re working on the big 15 economies. First, we had a fantastic meeting with Japan yesterday. I believe there have been calls with the EU already. And then we have South Korea coming next week, and I believe, India is also talking, that’s moving very quickly,” Bessent said.

Elon Musk, a good friend of the Italian PM, met with Meloni in Rome in 2023. ZUMAPRESS.com

Trump himself later revealed he has been talking directly to China about the up to 145% tariffs the US is imposing on Beijing — and said he expected to make progress on the trade war in three to four weeks.

Trump met Meloni on the sidelines of the Notre Dame Cathedral reopening in Paris this past December — but the Thursday meeting was the first time they discussed policy in Washington.

Meloni also touched on the issue of European countries increasing their defense spending to meet the threat from Russia, and spoke about building a “just and lasting peace” in Ukraine alongside the US.

“Europe, as you know, is committed to do more, is working on tools to allow and help the [NATO] member states in increasing the defense spending. And we are convinced that everyone has to do more,” Meloni said Thursday in response to a reporter question.

On energy, Meloni said there “can be ways to work together” — sending a positive signal towards Trump’s goal of increasing US energy exports to Italy.