Trump Denies Calling Europeans ‘Parasites’ as Meloni Defends Him

Apr 18, 2025 Komal Das

Trump denied calling Europeans "parasites" during a meeting with Meloni, who defended him, saying, "He didn't say it"

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Trump met with Meloni to discuss a tariff deal, with Meloni stating, “The goal is to Make the West Great Again”

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A leaked Signal chat in March 2025 showed Trump officials criticizing European "freeloading," but there’s no evidence Trump called Europeans "parasites"

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Meloni visited Trump after he suspended 20% tariffs on the EU for 90 days, with the EU also halting retaliatory tariffs for trade talks

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Trump expressed confidence in reaching a trade deal with the EU before the 90-day tariff pause ends, stating, "There'll be a trade deal. 100 percent"

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Meloni confirmed Trump will visit Rome soon, and Trump stated, "We'll make the deal for them" if others don't want to

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