Barely two months after he appeared from nowhere to become Italy’s prime minister and a month after he first met Donald Trump, Giuseppe Conte was hailed by the U.S. president as his “new friend” and soulmate because “we are both outsiders to politics.”
“As a person who has great—huge—experience as a lawyer,” replied Conte, referring to himself at a joint press conference with Trump, “you have a President who is a strong supporter and advocate of the interests of the American people and the American country. He’s a great negotiator.”
Referring to the 1950’s romance film, one reporter referred to the Conte-Trump press conference as “a remake of ‘Roman Holiday.’ The only question is which one is Gregory Peck and which is Audrey Hepburn?”
In contrast to recent stormy sessions he has had with German Chancellor Angela Merkel, British Prime Minister Theresa May, and other European leaders, Trump had a most friendly visit and press conference with the head of government of Europe’s fourth largest economy.
With the anti-illegal immigrant Northern League and the new anti-establishment Five Star movement holding a majority in the Italian Chamber of Deputies, law professor and political newcomer Conte, 53, heads what is frequently referred to in the press as the “first populist government in Western Europe since World War II.”
Trump, in fact, cited the hardline policy toward illegal immigration of Conte’s government to make a pitch for his own agenda of border security.
“Like the United States, Italy is currently under enormous strain as a result of illegal immigration,” Trump said, “And they fought it hard. And the prime minister, frankly, is with us today because of illegal immigration. Italy got tired of it. They didn’t want it any longer.”
He went on to applaud Conte “for his bold leadership — truly bold — and I hope more leaders will follow this example, including leaders in Europe.”
Likening himself to Conte in that both believe “strong nations must have strong borders,” Trump again repeated his threat to shut the government down unless Democrats in Congress give him needed funds for border security and his long-promised wall along the Mexican border.
On the issues of trade, fighting terror, and keeping Iran from nuclear weapons, Trump said, he and Conte are on the same page.
But the Trump administration’s restoration of Iranian sanctions may be a stumbling block between the two leaders. When the Obama Administration lifted sanctions on Iran three years ago, Italy began resuming business. According to The New York Times, Italy last year exported “more than 1.7 billion euros (nearly $2 billion) worth of goods to Iran, up from 1.2 billion euros in 2015, according to the European Union. Only Germany exported more, sending nearly 3 billion euros worth of goods to Iran.”
“It was very disappointing none of my colleagues in the [Italian] press chose to bring up how we have suffered from Trump restoring the sanctions that the Obama Administration lifted,” said one Italian journalist who requested anonymity.”
For the most part, however, the “lovefest” between Trump and Conte is what is best remembered from their White House session Tuesday —a nd what is most significant.
As Daniele Moro of the U.S.-Italy Forum told us, “Italy has traditionally benefited from a close relation with the USA in dealing with much stronger France and Germany. On this point Conte and Trump are confirming what , since President Eisenhower helped Italy to send a message to the French , the USA traditionally does in Europe: keeping Italy reasonably strong."
John Gizzi is chief political columnist and White House correspondent for Newsmax. For more of his reports, Go Here Now.
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