Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico is known as one of President Donald Trump‘s strongest supporters in Europe. But after meeting Trump at Mar-a-Lago last month, Fico reportedly told European diplomats he was deeply worried about the president’s mental state.
This is surprising because Fico usually supports Trump’s views on European issues. During a private talk with EU leaders and top officials in Brussels on January 22, Fico allegedly called Trump “dangerous.” This meeting happened during an emergency EU summit that was set up to discuss Trump’s recent threats to take over Greenland.
Politico reports that several diplomats from four different EU countries said Fico seemed “traumatized” by his meeting with Trump. One diplomat said Fico described Trump as being “out of his mind.” The diplomats couldn’t give specific details about what Trump said during their private meeting that caused such a strong reaction.
The claims spark strong denials from both sides
The White House and Fico quickly denied these reports. White House spokesperson Anna Kelly called the claims “absolutely total fake news from anonymous European diplomats who are trying to be relevant.” She said the Mar-a-Lago meeting was “positive and productive.” A senior official who was at the January 17 meeting said the conversation was “pleasant, normal.”
Fico also strongly rejected the reports on X. He called the information “lies” and said he “did not speak at the informal summit in Brussels” about the meeting. Fico said he agrees with many of Trump’s strategies, though not all of them. He also said he was surprised Trump didn’t cancel the visit after he made a sharp statement about Venezuela, which made him value the meeting even more.
I STRONGLY REJECT THE LIES OF THE HATEFUL, PRO-BRUSSELS LIBERAL PORTAL POLITICO.
— Robert Fico
It is a sad look at the liberal and progressive political and media world. The abuse of criminal law to destroy opponents, the rejection of different opinions, boundless media lies, and attempts to…(@RobertFicoSVK) January 28, 2026
Right after visiting Mar-a-Lago, Fico praised the meeting publicly. In a Facebook video, he said his invitation showed “high respect and trust” from Trump. The two leaders talked about the war in Ukraine and agreed the EU was in a “deep crisis.”
Fico said Washington wanted his opinion because Slovakia is “not a Brussels parrot,” meaning it doesn’t just repeat what EU institutions say. Trump has been making bold moves on trade recently, including threatening major tariffs on Canada over potential deals with China.
Even Fico described the US president's psychological state as dangerous after the meeting with Trump, — Politico.
— Jürgen Nauditt
The Slovak prime minister told EU leaders that the meeting with Trump had shocked him because of the US president's state of mind.
The politicians' last… pic.twitter.com/O8NvPmppJR(@jurgen_nauditt) January 28, 2026
Fico’s private warning adds to Europe’s growing worries about the Trump administration. European leaders are increasingly concerned about Trump’s behavior. Sources say concerns about the president’s health are “rapidly becoming a more conversed topic at all levels” in Brussels.
Trump’s unpredictable actions have been clear recently. Earlier this month, he threatened new tariffs on eight European countries, including France and Germany. He claimed they were blocking his efforts to take Greenland and didn’t rule out using force at first.
The 79-year-old later backed away from military threats during a speech in Davos, Switzerland, saying “I won’t do that, OK?” But the incident made European leaders feel they need to rely less on the U.S. for security. Meanwhile, Trump has also been discussing a potential third term in the White House. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said after the summit that standing up to Trump in a “firm” but “non-escalatory” way works well, and they plan to keep doing it.
