Is this love?
Elon Musk praised Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni during a black-tie awards ceremony held on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly.
The Tesla billionaire and Trump supporter introduced the far-right politician at the Atlantic Council's Global Citizen Awards dinner at New York's Ziegfeld Ballroom on Monday night.
“Melonie is even more beautiful on the inside than she is on the outside,” Musk said. According to Politico,
The Axe boss and father of 12 also described Meloni as “authentic, honest and thoughtful.”
“That can't always be said about politicians,” Musk joked, drawing laughter from the 700 attendees. According to the New York Times,
When Musk presented Meloni with the prestigious award, the two stood for a few moments, looking into each other's eyes.
As Politico reports, Meloni, 47, personally requested that Musk, 53, introduce her at the Atlantic Council dinner, which has become the social crown jewel of the United Nations General Assembly.
The two have met several times over the past year, including their first meeting at Meloni's official residence in Rome in June 2023.
Musk also spoke at a political event organised by Meloni's right-wing Brothers of Italy party last December.
Musk has 12 children from three different women and recently fathered a child with a female Neuralink executive Shivon Zilis In January.
Meloni publicly disowned the father of her daughter, Andrea Giambruno, last year. He made an offensive remark on Italian TV,
When it was Meloni's turn on stage Monday, he responded to Musk's praise by calling him a “priceless genius” and then launched into a vehement defense of patriotism.
“Protecting our deep roots is a prerequisite for reaping ripe fruits”, the Prime Minister stressed, as he challenged the idea of the “inevitable decline of the West”.
Musk was nodding as Meloni spoke, and he stood up and applauded when she finished.
Meloni and Musk sat together at the event, where they were also seen having an intense conversation.
At one point, Meloni was seen gesturing emphatically while Musk tilted his head closer to her, A video of reporter Smriti Sharma was shown,
Since becoming Italy’s first female prime minister nearly two years ago, Meloni has emerged as a leading political force in the European Union.
His selection for the Global Citizen Award angered some members of the Atlantic Council, who questioned his past proximity to Russia and his party's anti-immigrant, anti-LGBTQ rhetoric. Politico mentioned,
However, the think tank praised his “strong support for the EU and the transatlantic alliance, and his presidency of the Group of Seven in 2024.”
In addition to Meloni, Ghana’s President Nana Akufo-Addo, Greece’s Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, and CJ Group Vice Chairman Mickey Lee were also honored at the awards dinner on Monday.
