Melania Trump struggles to sum up her new film in three words
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The premiere for a new documentary about Melania Trump took place last night, with guests including rapper Nicki Minaj in attendance but mainstream press barred from entering.
The event took place at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., which was referred to as the “Trump-Kennedy Center” on official invitations.
While taking questions from reporters before the screening, President Donald Trump hit back at critics of the $40 million Amazon MGM paid for the rights to the documentary by saying: “Well, I think they’d have to go and ask President Obama, who got paid a lot of money and hasn’t done anything.”
Also present was the film’s director, Brett Ratner. Ratner is a controversial figure who has not worked in Hollywood since a string of sexual misconduct allegations in 2017, and was recently pictured in the Epstein files.
Others in attendance included Dr. Phil, Dr. Oz and Trump administration figures such as secretary of war Pete Hegseth, secretary of education Linda McMahon and secretary of health and human services Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.
Notable by their absence were most of Trump’s children. Donald Trump Jr was present, but Barron Trump, the 19-year-old son he shares with Melania, was not.
Despite the lavish premiere event, the film is not expected to become a box office hit when it is released nationwide. It has been predicted to earn between $1 million and $5 million on its opening weekend.
Follow below for updates from the documentary premiere…
Trump hits out at Obama when questioned over documentary cost
Asked on the premiere’s event’s black carpet what he would say to those who have been critical of the fact that Amazon paid $40m to acquire the rights for Melania, President Trump replied:
“Well, I think they’d have to go and ask President Obama, who got paid a lot of money and hasn’t done anything.”
President Obama signed a production deal with Netflix in 2018 that has produced various film projects including American Factory, Leave the World Behind, and Crip Camp.
Jacob Stolworthy30 January 2026 09:45
Barron and Ivanka Trump skip premiere
The 19-year-old son of Melania and Donald Trump didn’t attend his mother’s big night – despite appearing in the documentary – but was thanked by Melania in a speech ahead of the screening.
Ivanka, Trump’s daughter from his previous marriage to Ivana Trump, was also a no-show alongside her husband Jared Kushner.
Jacob Stolworthy30 January 2026 09:25
Who attended film premiere?
Melania’s documentary premiered on Thursday (29 January) at the Trump-Kennedy Center in Washington.
Rapper (and noted Trump stan) Nicki Minaj
Speaker Mike Johnson, Republican of Louisiana
Pete Hegseth, the secretary of defense
Dr Mehmet Oz, the administrator of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
United States Attorney for the District of Columbia Jeanine Pirro
Lizzy Savetsky, influencer
Melania Trump’s father Viktor Knavs
WASHINGTON, DC – JANUARY 29: (L-R) Special Presidential Envoy for Special Missions of the United States Richard Grenell, rapper Nicki Minaj, Maria Bartiromo, and Phil McGraw attend ‘Melania’ premiere (Photo by Samuel Corum/Getty Images) (Getty Images)
Jacob Stolworthy30 January 2026 09:07
Trump talks business at wife’s event
It might have been his wife’s time in the spotlight, but at the premiere of Melania, Trump couldn’t help but talk business, revealing he’ll be naming the next Federal Reserve today.
He told Newsmax at the event, held at the Trump-Kennedy Center, he’d picked “a very good choice” – although he would say that.
Jacob Stolworthy30 January 2026 08:40
The first screening in a local Vue
Let’s just say, it’s not going to mirror the Barbenheimer craze of 2023.
(Vue)
Jacob Stolworthy30 January 2026 08:20
How did Nicki Minaj become Trump’s ‘number one fan’?
Special Presidential Envoy for Special Missions of the United States Richard Grenell, rapper Nicki Minaj, Maria Bartiromo, and Phil McGraw attend the ‘Melania’ screening (Samuel Corum/Getty Images)
Nicki Minaj brought a touch of celebrity to the Melania screening at the Kennedy Center.
She said earlier this week: “I am probably the president’s number one fan, and that’s not going to change.”
Here’s The Independent’s Carsen Holaday on the controversies, feuds and fan backlash that reshaped the rapper’s career:
How Nicki Minaj went from Queen of Rap to controversial Trump cheerleader
Once the unassailable ‘Queen of Rap,’ Nicki Minaj has grown increasingly estranged from the music industry — and embraced by conservatives — culminating in a public show of support for Donald Trump that stunned fans. Carsen Holaday traces the controversies, feuds and fan backlash that reshaped her career
Kevin Perry30 January 2026 07:59
Brett Ratner and Marc Beckman pictured together at ‘Melania’ premiere
(Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images)
If Brett Ratner succeeds in using Melania to revive his career, he’ll have Melania’s senior advisor Marc Beckman to thank.
Beckman and Ratner have known each other since the former’s advertising agency hired the director in 2007 for a provocative jeans campaign starring a topless Heidi Klum.
“He understood how to bring this cinematic, stylized quality to the film that the First Lady envisioned,” Beckman recently told The Times.
Kevin Perry30 January 2026 07:00
Most of President Trump’s children, including Barron, appear to skip event
(Getty Images)
Among the notable absentees for last night’s premiere were most of President Trump’s children.
That includes Barron Trump, the son he shares with Melania. The 19-year-old rarely makes public appearances.
It had previously been reported that Eric and Ivanka Trump were unlikely to attend the event.
Donald Trump Jr. however did attend.
Kevin Perry30 January 2026 06:00
Melania struggles to sum up film in three wordsMelania Trump struggles to sum up her new film in three words
Kevin Perry30 January 2026 05:00
Trump takes shots at Obama when questioned over documentary cost
(AFP via Getty Images)
Asked on the event’s black carpet what he would say to those who have been critical of the fact that Amazon paid $40 million to acquire the rights for this movie, President Trump replied:
“Well, I think they’d have to go and ask President Obama, who got paid a lot of money and hasn’t done anything.”
President Obama signed a production deal with Netflix in 2018 that has produced various film projects including American Factory, Leave the World Behind, and Crip Camp.
Kevin Perry30 January 2026 04:36