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Daniele Compatangelo, La7's Washington correspondent and president of the White House Foreign Correspondents' Association (WHFCA), has died suddenly at the age of 50 following a sudden illness, according to Italy's ANSA news agency.
Compatangelo, who covered US politics for more than two decades and recently secured an exclusive telephone interview with Donald Trump, led the association representing foreign journalists accredited to the White House and other US government institutions.
His relationship with the White House and his last major scoop
Compatangelo's exclusive interview with Trump became one of the defining moments of his career. The US president's comments about his relationship with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni sparked political controversy in Italy after they were broadcast on La7's programme L'aria che tira.
The interview made international headlines after Trump claimed that Meloni had "begged" him for a photograph at the G7 summit, remarks she dismissed as "completely fabricated" and which triggered a diplomatic row between Rome and Washington.
The interview highlighted Compatangelo's ability to secure high-level access while reporting on American politics from inside the corridors of power in Washington. Throughout his time in the US, he regularly provided analysis of domestic and foreign policy, including developments surrounding the conflict involving Iran, drawing on his extensive network of White House contacts.
According to the correspondent, the US had a very clear strategy to enlist support: every criticism of Europe was in fact a request for help over Iran.
A 25-year career spanning news, politics and major events
Compatangelo spent 25 years covering international news, working for a range of broadcasters and publications including Sky and Il Secolo XIX, while also leading several high-profile press offices.
He covered eight summer and winter Olympic Games, from Sydney in 2000 to London in 2012, combining sports reporting with political journalism and the production of documentaries and long-form reports.
In June 2011, his investigative documentary The Los Angeles Breakdown received an Honourable Mention at the Southern California Journalism Awards in Los Angeles. His work was also broadcast by RSI, the Swiss Italian-language public broadcaster, as well as Rai and Mediaset.
Alongside his work as La7's Washington correspondent, Compatangelo served as president of the WHFCA, representing the community of foreign journalists accredited to the White House and strengthening links between international media and US institutions.
Tributes from colleagues
Born in Savona and raised in Turin, Compatangelo lived in Rome before moving permanently to the United States, where he established himself as one of Italy's best-known journalists covering American politics.
His death prompted an outpouring of tributes from colleagues, including those at La7.
"We are stunned. Everyone at La7 stands close to his loved ones," the broadcaster's director Andrea Salerno said.
"Daniele was a precious and uncommon collaborator, driven by a constant desire to tell stories with accuracy and cheerfulness. He was a fine journalist. He will be missed."
Compatangelo was widely respected among colleagues covering US politics and remained an active presence in the White House press corps until shortly before his death.
