Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni had a meeting with President Donald Trump this week and it reportedly didn't go very well for her, thanks to an awkward mistake by her interpreter.
According to Politico, interpreter Valentina Maiolini-Rothbacher was ultimately cut off by the Italian prime minister after Trump had asked for a translation regarding a questioned PM Meloni had asked him.
The interpreter struggled with the response -- so bad that the prime minister stepped in and was forced to provide her own translation.
The embarrassed interpreter later told an Italian newspaper that the mistake was the "worst thing that can happen to an interpreter, a terrible setback."
The United States president had asked Maiolini-Rothbacher "for a translation of Meloni’s response to a question from an Italian journalist about his position on Ukraine and military spending," and the result was a disaster for the interpreter.
While struggling to provide a translation, she paused several times and was forced to look at her notes.
That's when Meloni jumped in to interpret her own response regarding NATO funding and defense.
"President Meloni was right to interrupt me, it was a very important meeting and every word carried great weight," Maiolini-Rothbacher said. "She wanted to be perfectly understood by Donald Trump."
‘Wait, I will do it’ - Meloni interrupts White House interpreter to translate for herself during Trump meeting pic.twitter.com/cGNyQMKMrL
— Viory Video (@vioryvideo) April 18, 2025
Politico noted:
Maiolini-Rothbacher said in the interview that although she had not been to the White House before, she is an experienced interpreter and has worked at high-level meetings including the G20. She has worked as an interpreter since 1991, according to her LinkedIn profile.
She has not spoken with Meloni since the meeting, she said, adding that she went straight to the airport from the White House after the session. According to Corriere della Sera, she is currently by the sea in the Santa Marinella area.
Users across social media reacted to the situation, with some praising the Italian PM for stepping in.
"Her translator wasn't at 100% today. It happens right? But, Meloni being the absolute boss she is didn't even bat an eye. She stepped in immediately & translated what she said herself for @realDonaldTrump. Queen Energy y'all!," one X user wrote.
Another X user wrote, "Meloni’s translator has almost destroyed everything she wanted to achieve in Washington. Her body language is easy to understand."
Many asked why the PM even needed a translator on hand given how she handled the situation so well.
