President Donald Trump is facing criticism after he claimed to be a “great friend” of Italian opera singer Luciano Pavarotti, who in fact died a decade ago and whose family has openly criticized Trump. On Thursday, Trump welcomed Italian Prime Minister Paolo Gentiloni to the White House and praised Italy’s contributions to world culture during a news conference.

President Donald Trump: “Through the ages, your country has been a beacon of artistic and scientific achievement. That continues today. From Venice to Florence, from Verdi to Pavarotti—friend of mine. Great friend of mine.”

In fact, Pavarotti died in 2007. Last summer, Pavarotti’s widow and three daughters asked the Trump campaign to stop using Pavarotti’s music at campaign events, writing, “The values of brotherhood and solidarity that Luciano Pavarotti upheld throughout his artistic career are incompatible with the world vision of the candidate Donald Trump.”