President Donald Trump welcomed Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni to the White House for a high-stakes meeting addressing escalating trade tensions between the U.S. and the European Union. Meloni, the first EU leader to meet with Trump following his suspension of proposed 20% tariffs on European exports, positioned herself as a bridge between the EU and the U.S. The leaders discussed the possibility of reciprocal elimination of industrial tariffs and broader issues including defense, energy, and artificial intelligence.