First lady Melania Trump spoke at the Smithsonian National Museum of American History in Washington, DC, this morning as her gown from the 2025 inauguration was added to the museum’s collection and displayed in the First Ladies gallery. (Yes, it’s the gown you may be thinking of, particularly if you saw her documentary, Melania: the white one with the black squiggly line.)
Onstage, Trump spoke of the gown and its designer—her longtime stylist, the French American fashion designer Hervé Pierre—and of her commitment to fashion and her passion for it altogether. One of her most enduring signatures as a first lady will, after all, be her meticulously engineered look and her personal fascination with it: towering stilettos, severely cut skirt suits, and a penchant for black, in addition to a love for European fashion houses.
Trump, according to current Smithsonian secretary Lonnie G. Bunch III, who spoke prior to her remarks, is the first first lady to be represented in the collection by two inaugural gowns in more than 100 years. “That’s really important to us,” Bunch said.
“Human nature resides in the discipline of detail. Everything is in the detail,” Trump said in her speech. “It’s a testament as to why America’s fashion industry can lead the rest of the world.” Notably, she “championed” the United States’ “fashion leadership,” to borrow wording from the release of remarks, while wearing not one but two European labels, as confirmed by the office of the first lady. It’s a detail that seems worth paying attention to.
It sent a message: that Trump either seemingly didn’t think it relevant that she was wearing a Bottega Veneta coat (Italian, retailing online for $4,300) with Christian Louboutin (French) snakeskin boots while speaking of how the American industry was leading the pack, or that she simply hadn’t thought of it to begin with. Considering how carefully curated her style is, though, we can presume that the first lady always knows exactly what she’s wearing and to where.
President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump arrive to the Commander-In-Chief inaugural ball at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Washington, DC, on January 20, 2025. (Photo by Jabin Botsford /The Washington Post via Getty Images)The Washington Post/Getty Images
President Donald Trump is heading to North Carolina on Friday to celebrate members of the special forces who stormed into Venezuela on the third day of the New Year and whisked away that country’s leader, Nicolás Maduro, to face U.S. smuggling charges.First Lady Melania Trump will also be making the trip to Fort Bragg, one of the largest military bases in the world by population, to spend time with military families.Trump has been hitting the road more frequently to states that could play key roles in November’s midterm congressional elections, including a stop before Christmas in Rocky Mount, North Carolina. The White House has been trying to promote Trump’s economic policies, including attempts to bring down the cost of living at a time when many Americans are becoming increasingly frustrated with Trump’s efforts to improve affordability.The president spoke at Fort Bragg in June at an event meant to recognize the 250th anniversary of the U.S. Army. But that celebration was overshadowed by his partisan remarks describing protesters in Los Angeles as “animals” and his defense of deploying the military there.Trump has since deployed the National Guard to places like Washington and Memphis, Tennessee, as well as other federal law enforcement officials involved in his crackdown on immigration. Trump’s border czar, Tom Homan, announced Thursday that the administration is ending the operations in Minnesota that led to the fatal shootings of two U.S. citizens.This time, Trump’s visit is meant to toast service members involved in his administration’s dramatic ouster of Maduro, an operation he has described as requiring bravery and advanced weapons.His administration has since pushed for broad oversight of the South American country’s oil industry. Next month, he plans to convene a gathering of leaders from a number of Latin American countries in Florida, as the administration spotlights what it sees as concerning Chinese influence in the region.The March 7 gathering can give Trump a chance to further press a new and aggressive foreign policy which the president has proudly dubbed the “Donroe Doctrine,” a reference to 19th-century President James Monroe’s belief that the U.S. should dominate its sphere of influence.
WASHINGTON —
President Donald Trump is heading to North Carolina on Friday to celebrate members of the special forces who stormed into Venezuela on the third day of the New Year and whisked away that country’s leader, Nicolás Maduro, to face U.S. smuggling charges.
First Lady Melania Trump will also be making the trip to Fort Bragg, one of the largest military bases in the world by population, to spend time with military families.
Trump has been hitting the road more frequently to states that could play key roles in November’s midterm congressional elections, including a stop before Christmas in Rocky Mount, North Carolina. The White House has been trying to promote Trump’s economic policies, including attempts to bring down the cost of living at a time when many Americans are becoming increasingly frustrated with Trump’s efforts to improve affordability.
The president spoke at Fort Bragg in June at an event meant to recognize the 250th anniversary of the U.S. Army. But that celebration was overshadowed by his partisan remarks describing protesters in Los Angeles as “animals” and his defense of deploying the military there.
Trump has since deployed the National Guard to places like Washington and Memphis, Tennessee, as well as other federal law enforcement officials involved in his crackdown on immigration. Trump’s border czar, Tom Homan, announced Thursday that the administration is ending the operations in Minnesota that led to the fatal shootings of two U.S. citizens.
This time, Trump’s visit is meant to toast service members involved in his administration’s dramatic ouster of Maduro, an operation he has described as requiring bravery and advanced weapons.
His administration has since pushed for broad oversight of the South American country’s oil industry. Next month, he plans to convene a gathering of leaders from a number of Latin American countries in Florida, as the administration spotlights what it sees as concerning Chinese influence in the region.
The March 7 gathering can give Trump a chance to further press a new and aggressive foreign policy which the president has proudly dubbed the “Donroe Doctrine,” a reference to 19th-century President James Monroe’s belief that the U.S. should dominate its sphere of influence.
BETHESDA, Md. (AP) — Melania Trump on Wednesday celebrated an early Valentine’s Day with children and young adults being treated for rare and serious diseases, joining them in holiday-themed craft-making and chatting about their lives, health and other interests.
After they finished making flower bouquets and lanterns out of construction paper and other materials, they stepped over to a festively decorated dessert bar laid out with mini cupcakes and jars of mini chocolates and other candies.
The first lady then made a somewhat sour confession days before a holiday famous for heart-shaped boxes filled with chocolates.
“I don’t eat much sweets,” she said. “Sugar is not that healthy for us.”
First lady Melania Trump works on Valentine’s Day arts and crafts with patients at The Children’s Inn at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in Bethesda, Md., Wednesday, Feb. 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Nathan Howard)
First lady Melania Trump waves while arriving to a visit at The Children’s Inn at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in Bethesda, Md., Wednesday, Feb. 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Nathan Howard)
First lady Melania Trump signs a Valentine’s Day card while working on arts and crafts with patients at The Children’s Inn at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in Bethesda, Md., Wednesday, Feb. 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Nathan Howard)
First lady Melania Trump works on Valentine’s Day arts and crafts with patients at The Children’s Inn at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in Bethesda, Md., Wednesday, Feb. 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Nathan Howard)
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First lady Melania Trump works on Valentine’s Day arts and crafts with patients at The Children’s Inn at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in Bethesda, Md., Wednesday, Feb. 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Nathan Howard)
It was her first visit of the second Trump administration to The Children’s Inn at the National Institutes of Health, and her fourth as first lady. She visited three times in the first term.
One of the young men told the first lady he did not know how to address her and wondered whether “your highness” was an option.
Her answer?
“Melania,” she said with a smile.
The Children’s Inn is a nonprofit that provides support to children and young adults receiving treatment through clinical trials for rare and serious diseases.
Congress recently approved a $47 billion budget for NIH this year, giving it a small raise and rejecting the Trump administration’s call for a nearly 40% cut to the agency’s funding.
AP Medical Writer Lauran Neergaard contributed to this report.
The documentary about First Melania Trump has grossed a total of $13.5 million so far (almost all of that in the United States), which means it’s extremely unlikely the film — which Amazon spent $40 million to acquire and $35 million to market — will break even in theaters.
Moviegoing typically slows during Super Bowl weekend, but the weekend’s top film, “Send Help,” only declined 47%. And after placing third on the charts last weekend, “Melania” is ninth this time.
Perhaps anticipating discussion about the film’s decline, Amazon released a statement from its head of domestic theatrical distribution Kevin Wilson, who said, “Together, theatrical and streaming represent two distinct value creating moments that amplify the film’s overall impact.”
Promoted by President Trump as “a must watch,” the Melania Trump documentary “Melania” debuted with a better-than-expected $7 million in ticket sales, according to studio estimates Sunday.
The release of “Melania” was unlike any seen before. Amazon MGM Studios paid $40 million for the rights, plus some $35 million to market it, making it the most expensive documentary ever. Directed by Brett Ratner, who had been exiled from Hollywood since 2017, the film about the first lady debuted in 1,778 theaters in the midst of Mr. Trump’s turbulent second term.
While the result would be a flop for most films with such high costs, “Melania” was a success by documentary standards. It’s the best opening weekend for a documentary, outside of concert films, in 14 years. Going into the weekend, estimates ranged from $3 million to $5 million.
But there was little to compare “Melania” to, given that presidential families typically eschew in-office memoir or documentary releases to avoid the appearance of capitalizing on the White House. The film chronicles Melania Trump over 20 days last January, leading up to Trump’s second inauguration.
On Thursday, Mr. Trump hosted a premiere of the film at the Kennedy Center, with attendees including cabinet members and members of Congress. There, Ratner downplayed its box-office potential, noting: “You can’t expect a documentary to play in theaters.”
Mr. Trump addressed a number of political topics at the premiere event, answering reporters’ questions about the Federal Reserve, Iran, Cuba and more. The first lady told CBS News on the event’s red carpet why she believed people would connect with the documentary.
“I think you will see a lot of emotions, from humor to sadness to grief to celebration, family,” she said.
President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump arrive for the premiere of her movie “Melania” at The John F. Kennedy Memorial Center For The Performing Arts, Thursday, Jan. 29, 2026, in Washington.
Jose Luis Magana / AP
The No. 1 movie of the weekend was Sam Raimi’s “Send Help,” a critically acclaimed survival thriller starring Rachel McAdams and Dylan O’Brien. The Walt Disney Co. release debuted with $20 million. The film, with a $40 million budget, was an in-between kind of release for Raimi, whose hits have typically ranged from low-budget cult (“Army of Darkness”) to big-budget blockbuster (2002’s “Spider-Man”).
The microbudget sci-fi horror film “Iron Lung,” directed by YouTuber and filmmaker Markiplier, came in second with $17.9 million, far exceeding expectations. The Jason Statham action thriller “Shelter” debuted with $5.5 million.
But most of the curiosity was on how “Melania” would perform. A week earlier, the White House hosted a black-tie preview attended by Amazon chief executive Andy Jassy, Apple chief executive Tim Cook and former boxer Mike Tyson.
The film arrived in a week dominated by coverage of federal immigration tactics in Minnesota after a U.S. Border Patrol agent fatally shot 37-year-old Alex Pretti in Minneapolis.
“Melania” didn’t screen in advance for critics, but reviews that rolled out Friday, once the film was in theaters, weren’t good. Xan Brooks of The Guardian compared the film to a “medieval tribute to placate the greedy king on his throne.” Owen Gleiberman of Variety called it a “cheese ball informercial of staggering inertia.” Frank Scheck of The Hollywood Reporter wrote: “To say that ‘Melania’ is a hagiography would be an insult to hagiographies.”
But among those who bought tickets over the weekend, the response was far more positive. “Melania” landed an “A” CinemaScore. Audiences were overwhelmingly 55 and older (72% of ticket buyers), female (72%) and white (75%). As expected, the movie played best in the South, with top states including Florida and Texas.
David A. Gross, who runs the movie consulting firm FranchiseRe, called it “an excellent opening for a political documentary.”
“For any other film, with $75 million in costs and limited foreign potential, it would be a problem,” said Gross. “But this is a political investment, not a for-profit movie venture, and if it helps Amazon with a regulatory, taxation, tariff or other government issue, then it will pay back. $75 million is insignificant to Amazon.”
“Melania” is Ratner’s first film since he was accused of sexual misconduct in 2017. Multiple women, including the actor Olivia Munn, accused Ratner of sexual harassment and misconduct. Ratner has denied the allegations. Last fall, after Trump’s reported intervention, Paramount Pictures said it would distribute his “Rush Hour 4.”
“Melania,” which will stream on Prime Video following its theatrical run, was released globally. Shortly before its debut, South African distributor Filmfinity said it would no longer release it. The company said it changed course “based on recent developments.”
International ticket sales for “Melania” were expected to be minuscule.
Weekend box office estimates for the U.S.
With final domestic figures being released Monday, this list factors in the estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Comscore:
1. “Send Help,” $20 million.
2. “Iron Lung,” $17.9 million.
3. “Melania,” $7 million.
4. “Zootopia 2,” $5.8 million.
5. “Shelter,” $5.5 million.
6. “Avatar: Fire and Ash,” $5.5 million.
7. “Mercy,” $4.7 million.
8. “The Housemaid,” $3.5 million.
9. “Marty Supreme,” $2.9 million.
10. “28 Years Later: The Bone Temple,” $1.5 million.
In 1935, Adolf Hitler commissioned director Leni Riefenstahl to make Triumph Of The Will, a highly nationalistic and likely heavily staged account of the Nazi Party’s 1934 Nuremberg rallies. It was a key moment in the history of propaganda films, a coldly fascistic conceptualisation of Germany as the Nazis hoped to recast it, produced with full participation and collaboration of an authoritarian regime. Melania, on the other hand — a new documentary about Melania Trump, wife of President Donald Trump — is more like Triumph of the Shill. It is political propaganda at its most transparent — cynical, pointless, and very, very boring.
He also notes the missed opportunity:
There is no drama to speak of, no tension, no narrative arc. Melania’s life story is undeniably fascinating: a former model and beauty queen, born in Soviet-era Yugoslavia, an immigrant who improbably clawed her way to the top, making the White House her home — twice. Within her life, you can surely find the story of America in microcosm: Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses, yearning to start a luxury jewellery line! As a public figure who rarely gives interviews, she is a mystery, a cipher hiding behind designer sunglasses, surely waiting for her story to be told.
But this film is uninterested in backstory, in delving even remotely under the surface.
Melania, Brett Ratner’s Melania Trump movie, is a purportedly serious film that plays like a mockumentary. If you were making a movie that parodied the current first lady of the United States, I’m not sure what you’d do differently.
This interminable, nearly two-hour long film features a running voiceover by Melania, leading us through crucial moments in the twenty days leading up to her husband’s second inauguration: choosing fabric for her coat, making sure her dress is the right length, approving a design plan for the dinner, and perusing furniture for Barron’s future bedroom. (Sadly, we never get to see which chest of drawers she picks.) “My creative vision is always clear,” she intones, returning to that notion throughout.
This is a work of propaganda, but director Brett Ratner is no Leni Riefenstahl. Missing are the German filmmaker’s awe-inspiring visuals and hypnotic edits; instead, Ratner substitutes endless shots of the gaudy, excessive Trump aesthetic as Melania floats through Trump Tower, private jets, motorcades, and gala dinners until she lands at the White House. The doc’s opening shot is a panorama of Mar-a-Lago in all its gilded glory, accompanied by the Rolling Stones’ “Gimme Shelter.” “Rape, murder, it’s just a shot away,” Jagger’s voice promises.
Before he was exiled from Hollywood by sexual assault accusations (he has denied the claims), Ratner was best known for directing the Rush Hour movies—so I at least expected propulsive pacing and drama. No such luck: We might as well be watching gold paint dry.
It’s hard to tell whether Melania herself finds it all as dull as I did: she remains inscrutable through most of the film, her face frozen into an elegant mask. The only times she genuinely lights up are when Ratner coaxes her to sing along with her favorite song, Michael Jackson’s “Billie Jean,” and later while dancing to the Village People’s “YMCA” at an inaugural event. At several points Melania refers to the death of her mother with sadness, and even has the cameras trail her to St Patrick’s Cathedral, where she lights candles. But throughout, there is no perceptible change in her demeanor.
That departure could’ve been a great segue into a segment about Melania’s past—her childhood in Slovenia, her modeling career, background information that might give context to her transformation into Trump’s consort. But instead, the doc sticks with the minutiae of the march toward Trump’s second term. Unmentioned is the January 6th, 2021 insurrection at the Capitol; instead, the camera just pans over images of the Capitol preparing for the inauguration—now a symbol of Trump’s triumphal power.
Melania Trump faced a tough time to premiere her self-titled documentary. It was already a tall order, to ask audiences to tune in to a feature film about a subject who seems to have, intentionally, not participated in being a public figure at the level her station would require. Sure, there was a coffee table memoir published in 2024, which became a New York Times bestseller, but ultimately it didn’t reveal much. So why try it again on the big screen?
The official premiere hosted at the “Center formerly known as Kennedy,” as my colleague Aidan McLaughlin put it in his scene report of the would-be shindig, came after a tense, devastating week in the United States. If early reports from ticket sales online showed theaters with an embarrassingly low amount of sales, then why should anyone care now?
That might be why when Trump herself took the red carpet—which was in actuality black—last night, she was not dressed for movie stardom. Instead, she wore a sober black skirt suit of the kinds she wears often in her role of first lady—tailored close to the body and cinched at the waist, this time with a thin belt, and with no ostentatious jewelry. Despite the step and repeat, the message was loud and clear: this is not a Hollywood premiere.
Last night’s ensemble was by Dolce & Gabbana, the Italian label preferred by the first lady. The jacket retails for $2,345 and the skirt for $1,145. She’s also wearing the brand in the poster of the documentary, and donned a $7,300 coat dress by Dior on Wednesday when she rang the New York Stock Exchange bell. In the words of the perennially quotable Ina Garten, “store-bought is fine.”
Trump’s continued choice of black, along with the black and white styling of the film’s marketing, suggests she is continuing to meticulously build the image she’s created as first lady: Of a stoic, glamorous figure with not much to say but a slick, imposing image.
Other than Ralph Lauren and Adam Lippes, who each dressed the first lady for her husband’s inaugurations in 2017 and 2025, respectively, American fashion, and fashion at large, has shied away from dressing the First Lady. The general consensus is that it’s not worth the hastle—though Lippes may disagree, as I’ve been told from multiple sources that his business has flourished since last year’s inaugural ensemble (another skirt suit, this time in navy). It’s why you will often find Melania wearing either a custom gown by her stylist, the designer Hervé Pierre, or in something off-the-rack, usually from European labels despite the president’s ethos of reinforcing the American economy and stateside manufacturing.
Trump reportedly made an effort to be chatty when facing reporters last night, even if she is not one known to be loquacious. Despite initially appearing willing to let his wife take the spotlight, I’m told, the president spent close to half an hour answering reporters’ questions while his wife posed for more photos. A detail you may miss in those about her outfit? “The shoes were Loubs,” my colleague reports—as in the famously red-soled Christian Louboutins.
The Trumps. Photo: Craig Hudson/Variety via Getty Images
Like an art-school student talking about their first animated short, First Lady of the United States Melania Trump is promising to defy genre conventions. At the premiere of her new nonfiction film Melania at the (Trump-)Kennedy Center, FLOTUS tried to explain that the film, which she executive-produced, was not what it appeared to be. “Some have called this a documentary,” Trump said onstage while presenting the film, per the New York Times. “It is not.” Okay, then what is this thing? “It is a creative experience that offers perspectives, insights, and moments,” Trump said.
The “creative experience” was directed by Brett Ratner, who was accused of sexual harassment and misconduct by six women in 2017, and goes into wide release this weekend. It is Ratner’s first project since being dropped from his Warner Bros. partnership after the allegations surfaced, and his next will be Rush Hour 4, which President Trump reportedly pushed Paramount to make. Melania is currently aiming to make $3 to $5 million in box-office returns on opening weekend, per Variety. That’s frankly a disastrous amount for Amazon after it spent $75 million on the project. Trump herself is not worried. “I’m very proud of the film, so people may like it, may don’t like it, and that’s their choice,” she told CNN on the red carpet. She added, “We achieved what we want to achieve. For myself, it’s already successful. I’m very proud of what we did.” Just two opening-day screenings in the country, one in Florida and one in Missouri, were entirely sold-out, per Wired. That’s 1/25 a Charli XCX.
The Amazon founder has been cozying up to Donald Trump for some time, from killing a Washington Post endorsement of Kamala Harris to attending Trump’s indoor inauguration. In the same February 2025 WSJ piece, the paper revealed that Melania pitched the documentary to Bezos personally when he dined a Mar-a-Lago in December:
[Melania] was looking for a buyer for a documentary about her transition back to first lady. Her agent had pitched the film, which she would executive produce, to a number of studios, including the one owned by Amazon. As the meeting approached, Melania consulted with director Brett Ratner on how to sell her idea to the world’s third-richest man. Melania regaled Bezos and his fiancée, Lauren Sánchez, with the project’s details at dinner.
Just over two weeks later, Amazon, a company that prides itself on frugality and sharp negotiating, agreed to pay $40 million to license the film — the most Amazon had ever spent on a documentary and nearly three times the next-closest offer.
Netflix and Apple declined even to bid. Paramount made a lowball $4 million distribution-rights offer. Disney, the most interested studio besides Amazon, offered $14 million.
And in March 2025 a “person close to Bezos” told the Financial Times that the Melania documentary “is patently ridiculous, but is very pragmatic”. They added, “He is doing a deal, offering money to buy the Trump family’s affection and flattering the president. If you think about it in terms of costs versus benefit, it is pretty low. It’s a smart investment.”
An Amazon spokesman downplayed the suggestion that the deal was part of Bezos’s effort to kiss up to the new administration, telling the WSJ, “We licensed the upcoming Melania Trump documentary film and series for one reason and one reason only — because we think customers are going to love it.”
The documentary isn’t the only deal the Bezos-owned company has made with the Trumps recently. In March 2025, Amazon announced that Prime Video would begin streaming The Apprentice, the reality competition show in which Donald Trump played a successful businessman. The president promoted the show’s streaming debut with twoposts on Truth Social. It’s unclear how much he stands to make from the deal.
Days before its premiere, things are looking rough for the Melania Trump documentary. It sounds like the film is on track to flophard at the box office next weekend, despite Amazon’s efforts to bolster sales. And the White House is getting flak for going ahead with a glitzy private screening of the film on Saturday night as the nation was reeling from the fatal ICE shooting in Minneapolis. But hey, at least they had a blast making it!
Well, not exactly. Rolling Stone has a new report on all the behind-the-scenes gossip that makes the whole process sound nightmarish.
While Trump ventures often do no attract the best of what the entertainment business has to offer, the cinematographers involved in the film had surprisingly impressive résumés, and none of the sources mentioned any drama among crew members. But Rolling Stone reported that the “frantic scramble” to gather footage of Melania in the 20 days leading up to Donald Trump’s second inauguration presented huge logistical issues:
It was a chaotic process that involved hiring and coordinating three separate production crews working in Florida, Washington, D.C., and New York City.
“People were worked really hard. Really long hours, highly disorganized, very chaotic,” one person who worked on the set said. “It wasn’t easy money,” another added. “It was very difficult because of the chaos that was around everything. … Usually [for a documentary] it’s like, ‘Oh, follow the subject.’ Well, it’s Melania Trump. With the first lady and Secret Service, you can’t just do things you usually do.”
A full-time travel coordinator was brought on to deal with logistics issues that would invariably arise when, for example, members of the crew would board the Trump Organization’s Boeing 757 to film the first lady on a flight en route to Mar-a-Lago and end up without a ride home.
Melania herself didn’t add to the problems; sources described her as friendly and engaged in the process. Brett Ratner, however, was another story. The director was “canceled” in Hollywood following sexual-harassment and misconduct allegations in 2017. While no one quoted in the Rolling Stone piece specifically raises those kinds of allegations, one person said they wouldn’t have signed on for the job if they knew he’d be involved. Another source said there was a lot of talk of “Brett being slimy” among the crew, but perhaps they meant that more literally:
Ratner left a trail of detritus — discarded orange peels, gum wrappers — wherever he went on set. “He did actually chew a piece of gum and throw it in a coffee cup on my cart,” one said, [but] “didn’t acknowledge my existence for even one nanosecond.”
Another recalled a long day during which the crew wasn’t allowed to break for meals, and no outside food was allowed to be brought into the space where filming was taking place. Everyone was starving. “Brett, unknowingly or maliciously, got his own food, went up there, was just eating it and just licking his fingers in grubbiest way possible, either being a dick or [having] no awareness whatsoever to the fact that everybody else is working and no one’s eating,” one person recalled.
“I feel a little bit uncomfortable with the propaganda element of this,” one member of the production team said. “But Brett Ratner was the worst part of working on this project.”
An estimated two-thirds of the crew members who worked on the film in New York asked to not be credited. Another told Rolling Stone that after experiencing Trump’s second term, they now wish they’d done the same. “I’m much more alarmed now than I was a year ago,” the person said.
Sure, you could argue that these crew members should have guessed where things were going in the weeks before Trump’s second inauguration. But it’s hard to find work in Hollywood these days. And few people would have guessed in late 2024 that the Melania documentary would also be an attempt to rehabilitate Bret Ratner because Donald Trump has a secret passion for the Rush Hour movies.
On Saturday night, as a major snowstorm hit much of the United States, and Minneapolis erupted in violence after the ICE shooting of a protestor, First Lady Melania Trump and director Brett Ratner held a private screening of their upcoming doc, Melania, at the White House.
The black-tie event, which was not promoted or advertised, took place in the East Room of the White House and attracted about 70 VIP guests, including Queen Rania of Jordan; Zoom CEO Eric Yuan; Apple CEO Tim Cook; New York Stock Exchange CEO Lynn Martin; AMD CEO Lisa Su; Mike Tyson; socialite and Fiat heiress Azzi Agnelli; self-help guru Tony Robbins; fashion designer Adam Lippes; and photographer Ellen von Unwerth, who shot the poster for the film.
Presidential progeny Barron Trump and Ratner’s mother, Marsha Presman, were also in attendance along with Amazon Studios chief Mike Hopkins, Amazon CEO Andy Jassy and Marc Beckman, a senior adviser and longtime manager to the First Lady who was reportedly involved in every aspect of the project. But major Trump officials and cabinet members were notably absent.
Sources say nobody outside of Melania, Ratner and a small group of their associates had seen the movie before the screening, including the president and his advisers.
The controversial Amazon-funded documentary, which opens nationwide in theaters on Jan. 30, tracks 20 days in Melania’s life from Trump’s 2025 presidential campaign to Inauguration Day. A source close to the first lady indicates that Ratner spent months living at Mar-a-Lago during the film’s shooting. It’s Ratner’s first major movie since he was accused of sexual misconduct and harassment close to a decade ago.
Guests were welcomed to the Saturday screening by a full military band playing famous movie tunes and “Melania’s Waltz,” a song composed for the film by Hollywood composer Tony Neiman. According to one invitee, guests were also treated to commemorative black and white popcorn boxes; framed, collectable screening tickets; and “take home cookies” bearing the first lady’s name. A limited-edition version of her bestselling Melania was also gifted to attendees.
But since THR’s exclusive report on the screening was published Saturday night, the White House and many of Melania’s guests have faced fierce criticism for going ahead with the event despite ongoing fallout from the murder of an anti-ICE protestor in Minnesota. (The screening was scheduled months before the shooting.)
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez took to X to slam the event writing, “Today DHS assassinated a VA nurse in the street, Bondi is attempting to extort voter files, and half the country is bracing on the eve of a potentially crippling ice storm with FEMA gutted. So what is the President up to? Having a movie night at the White House. He’s unfit.” Apple’s Tim Cook and other CEOs also came under fire, especially Amazon’s Jassy, who is said to have personally approved the company’s massive $40 million payout for the doc.
Despite the criticism, however, Melania seemed pleased with the event, writing on X: “I am deeply humbled to have been surrounded by an inspiring room of friends, family, and cultural iconoclasts at the White House last night. Each of these individuals brought their unique vision to the world, making a lasting impression. Our personal stories endure time and serve as a reminder of our mutual obligation to one another. It was an honor to present my new film, Melania, ahead of its global launch.”
Ahead of the film’s release, the first lady is reportedly scheduled to ring the opening bell of the New York Stock Exchange on Wednesday. Melania, along with the president and 1,000 other guests, will also attend a the film’s premiere on Thursday night at Washington’s Kennedy Center, while the film also rolls out in 20 cities nationwide
Below, THR shares exclusive photos from the event.
The rumors that the marriage between US President Donald Trump and his wife, first lady Melania Trump, is on the rocks have been around for a while. Ever since Trump’s first term, there have been reports that the two just don’t get along, that they don’t even sleep together, and that Melania doesn’t even live at the White House. But how true are those rumors?
According to People, the two keep their own separate schedules, but they do have one thing in common: interior design. “Donald has his own vision for his homes and clubs, and over the years has designed and selected a lot of the furnishings and finishings himself at Mar-a-Lago and the golf clubs,” a source told the outlet. “He and Melania have that in common. They both love interior design.”
Other than that, the source claims they spend very little time together. “There is little interaction between them, just what is expected,” the source says. ”Then they go back to doing their own thing.”
The outlet did report that the two were seen ringing in the new year together at Mar-a-Lago, and that the couple even exchanged a kiss at midnight, as is customary. Whether that’s a sign that the relationship isn’t doing as badly or a sign that they know how to keep up appearances during big moments remains to be seen. “Melania was happy and enjoying the night while the president looked bored and tired, but was nice to the guests and wishing them well,” a source told People.
White House spokesman responded to the claims saying, “President Trump and the entire administration work 24/7 for the American people to deliver on the promise to Make America Great Again. The Trump Family is the most successful family of all time.”
The outlet had previously reported that they both split their time between the White House and Palm Beach and both “have quarters in the White House,” but that Melania Trump “leads her own life and joins him when appropriate.”
Even when at Mar-a-Lago, they reportedly don’t spend much time together. Melania “keeps to herself” and only joins Trump for dinner “on occasion.”
These new reports seem to corroborate old ones that indicate Donald and Melania Trump only get along for the cameras. After the two came back from the state visit to the UK, The Daily Beast reported that the two were seen having a heated exchange on board the presidential helicopter.
And that’s not all, during that state trip, British newspapers reported the President and first lady slept in separate beds at Windsor Castle. This seemed to confirm what author Michael Wolff told the Daily Beast Podcastin May of 2025 about their marriage. Wolff claimed the two were effectively “separated” and “live separate lives.”
The White House contradicted Wolff at the time, calling him a “lying sack of s–t” and “a fraud.” And yet, the rumors have persisted. In fact, they’ve intensified. So we will have to see what 2026 brings for the President and the first lady.
Former Senate candidate Tiffany Smiley and former Biden White House official Meghan Hays discuss Elon Musk’s suggestion that he will resume funding GOP politicians ahead of the midterms on ‘America Reports.’
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President Donald Trump and Elon Musk appear to have repaired their once-strained relationship, according to a post shared by the billionaire Tesla founder on X.
In a post shared Sunday, Musk wrote, “Had a lovely dinner last night with @POTUS and @FLOTUS,” before adding, “2026 is going to be amazing!”
The photo, taken from a Saturday evening event at Mar-a-Lago in Florida, sparked speculation that the pair’s bromance may be back on after months of tension.
After the 2024 campaign, Musk became one of the Republican Party’s biggest political donors, contributing hundreds of millions of dollars, according to Reuters.
Trump later tapped Musk to advise the government efficiency effort and set up DOGE, focused on reducing federal spending and streamlining operations – but Musk stepped back from the role in mid-2025 amid mounting criticism.
Tensions also resurfaced when Musk publicly criticized Trump-backed spending proposals and raised concerns about the size of federal outlays.
President Donald Trump and Elon Musk speak before departing the White House on his way to Mar-a-Lago in Florida on March 14, 2025.(Roberto Schmidt/AFP via Getty Images)
“I’m sorry, but I just can’t stand it anymore,” Musk said in a June 3 post about Trump’s “big beautiful bill.”
“This massive, outrageous, pork-filled Congressional spending bill is a disgusting abomination. Shame on those who voted for it: you know you did wrong. You know it,” Musk complained.
Trump shot back that he was “very disappointed” in Musk’s criticism of his bill at the time before adding, “Elon and I had a great relationship. I don’t know if we will anymore.”
President Donald Trump said he likes Elon Musk “a lot” after the pair faced a rift over the “big beautiful bill” earlier this year.(Brandon Bell/Getty Images)
Musk shot back on X saying, “Without me, Trump would have lost the election, Dems would control the House and the Republicans would be 51-49 in the Senate.”
At one point, Musk suggested he could form a new political party. But by late 2025, both sides appeared to strike a more conciliatory tone.
In September, the two were seen shaking hands at Charlie Kirk’s memorial service in a box at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona.
Musk was also seen at a White House dinner in November as Trump hosted Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
Fox News Digital has reached out to the White House for comment.
Emma Bussey is a breaking news writer for Fox News Digital. Before joining Fox, she worked at The Telegraph with the U.S. overnight team, across desks including foreign, politics, news, sport and culture.
President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump spoke with several children on Christmas Eve, as Santa Claus makes the rounds across the globe, where he praised “clean, beautiful coal” and told one child they must be a “high IQ person.”
The pair joined the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) Santa Tracker hotline from Mar-a-Lago club in Palm Beach, Fla., where they fielded calls from kids about what they hoped St. Nick would bring them for Christmas.
One child told Trump they wanted a Kindle, the e-reader designed and marketed by Amazon.
President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump are pictured in their official Christmas portrait.(The White House)
“Not coal, no you don’t want coal. You mean clean, beautiful coal. I had to do that, I’m sorry,” Trump said.
“No, coal is clean and beautiful. Please remember that at all costs,” he added. “But you don’t want clean, beautiful coal, right? What would you like?”
Trump has frequently referred to coal and “clean” and “beautiful” amid an effort to boost its use.
During a call with a child in Oklahoma, he said he was fond of the state, which he won in the 2024 presidential election.
“Santa loves you. Santa loves Oklahoma like I do. You know, Oklahoma was very good to me in the election. So I love Oklahoma. Don’t ever leave Oklahoma, OK?” he said.
During the same call, Trump talked about tracking Santa.
White House staff and volunteers decorate for Christmas, Sunday, November 30, 2025. (Official White House Photo by Andrea Hanks)(Official White House Photo by Andrea Hanks)
“We track Santa all over the world… We want to make sure that he’s not infiltrated — that we’re not infiltrating into our country a bad Santa,” he said. “We found that Santa is GOOD!”
