The Trump-Kennedy Center finally hosted the much-anticipated premiere of Melania Trump’s self-titled documentary, Melania. Hopes were high, with numerous big names in attendance at the red-carpet event. However, not everyone was impressed with the First Lady as she arrived holding hands with her husband, President Donald Trump.
Despite the film not performing particularly well, it received tremendous support from MAGA fans, who were thrilled to get a rare glimpse of her life behind the closed doors of the White House. The Trump-Kennedy Center’s official X account posted a picture of the First Lady and the president arriving together at the red-carpet premiere of the film.
they’re getting better at blending the lacquer into the back of Trump’s hand pic.twitter.com/W7yqOkqVLH
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) January 30, 2026
She wore an all-black outfit, while Trump opted for a navy blue suit paired with a red tie. The couple posed for photos, but anticipation surrounding the documentary quickly fizzled as the public began criticizing them for holding hands and appearing “uncomfortable.”
One X user joked, “Dude doesn’t want to be there.” Another added, “They look SO uncomfortable around each other…” A third chimed in, writing, “LOL! Wait—what, orange is the new black?”
Another user opined, “Such a fake couple. Plastic.” Meanwhile, a netizen quipped, “How much you wanna bet he’s gonna sleep through her movie?”
During an interview with Fox News, Melania Trump shared her thoughts on transparency and what it means to serve as First Lady. “I want to show the people what it takes to go from a private citizen to being a First Lady again,” she said.
She added that a lot is happening behind the scenes and that she wants the public to see “all of the tasks” she performs while also taking care of her family. Directed by Brett Ratner, the documentary chronicles the 20 days leading up to Donald Trump’s inauguration as the 47th president and offers a glimpse into the First Lady’s life inside the White House.
It’s just the two of them isn’t it?
— Colin Howard (@colinmhoward) January 30, 2026
Additionally, the film contains some “exclusive” footage from “critical meetings” and even “private conversations” the power couple had during Donald Trump’s term. Surprisingly, neither element convinced fans to buy tickets for the movie.
According to reports from The Guardian, the film is playing in more than 100 theaters across the UK, but ticket sales for the documentary have been described as “soft.” No seats were sold across 28 screenings in Blackburn, Castleford, and Hamilton. A 3:10 p.m. screening on Friday sold just one ticket, while only five back-row seats were sold in Broughton.
An anonymous film pundit mocked the documentary, saying, “I’d be amazed if box office gets reported on this title.” The results are especially unexpected given that $35 million was reportedly spent marketing the film as a global release. However, based on the public response so far, it appears audiences are largely uninterested in seeing the Trumps.
