Giorgia Meloni’s contrasting behavior towards Joe Biden and Donald Trump has given social media users something to talk about. The Italian Prime Minister’s reactions to both the former and current Presidents of the United States have left social media users speculating.
The interaction between Meloni and Biden that was caught on camera during the G7 summit in 2024 clearly shows you how different her reactions are. In a video, the Italian Prime Minister can be seen greeting the former US president warmly.
She can be seen hugging Biden as a form of greeting and then kissing his cheek. The pair continues to talk while Meloni laughs and smiles throughout the interaction. Her whole demeanor during the interaction can be summed up as pleasant and warm.
“Meloni standing beside a real President transforms her from Prime Minister to superfan instantly. It feels like trading rehearsal for opening night. Can you feel the electricity in that handshake?” one user wrote while analysing the interaction between the two leaders.
“You can’t be serious. People see what they want to see,” another wrote in response. “He went up and tried to hug her when she clearly put her hand out for a handshake,” the same user continued. They went on to claim that the Italian Prime Minister had to show him that they were supposed to shake hands.
It was hard to miss how Meloni seemingly greeted Trump with less gusto earlier this week. Several social media users were quick to note how she allegedly barely looked the 79-year-old in the eye. The leaders were brought together when they attended the Gaza Peace Summit that took place in Egypt.
The interaction between the two leaders seemed stiff as they posed for cameras. At the summit, matters just got worse when Trump made an awkward comment about the Italian Prime Minister. “We have a woman, a young woman, who’s uh… I’m not allowed to say it,” he was heard saying. He went on to call Meloni beautiful, which did not sit right with social media users online.
What is noteworthy is that the President knew exactly how problematic his comment was. “I’m not allowed to say it because usually it’s the end of your political career,” he noted before saying what he said.
The Italian Prime Minister stood behind him with an expression that can best be described as stern. Netizens were quick to call him out for his comment. “It disgusting and inappropriate on every level in the gentlemen code of conduct,” one X user wrote.
