Despite the first lady’s documentary, Melania, getting low ratings from critics, Donald Trump has cheered on the film from the very beginning. He believes that the movie deserves to be nominated for coveted prizes, including the Academy Awards, aka Oscars. He called it a “must-watch” and claimed audiences were mesmerized, though it failed to sell out at most theaters.
Despite all the PR stunts, a staggering $75 million investment and hype from the president himself, the movie did terribly at the box office. Notably, the film currently holds an awkward 11% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
It is nowhere to be found on the box-office charts, only a month after its release.
The documentary-style film focuses on Melania Trump 20 days before Donald Trump takes up the role of president for a second time. Melania Trump deals with various issues while simultaneously preparing to be the first lady of the United States.
The most revealing reaction to Melania isn’t outrage.
It’s indifference.
A documentary with access.
With proximity to power.
With polish.
So why does it feel so empty?
⚡⚡ — Underpowered.
Read the full C2E Film Review:
https://t.co/S2YHF3NoGO#FilmReview #C2E pic.twitter.com/G7ZdjkZMgG
— see2eHQ (@See2eHQ) March 1, 2026
Now, a longtime Trump confidant has come out to share that the president expects his wife, Melania Trump, to win prestigious awards for the film. Donald Trump only cares about how many trophies the movie wins. “Donald sees it as an awards juggernaut. In his mind, the only scoreboard that matters is trophies.”
The insider added that all that matters to the president are awards he can boast about. As long as he gets to be the winner, he is satisfied. “He adores awards. Oscars, Emmys, plaques, magazine covers – anything shiny that says ‘winner.’ He genuinely believes Melania deserves Hollywood’s highest honor.”
Another source agreed with the revelations. They stated that in the true Trumpian fashion, the president will be upset with the board if the film is not nominated for awards. They asserted, “If Melania doesn’t get nominated, he’ll say it was rigged.”
Rotten Tomatoes’ owner says the “Melania” 99% audience score is not “bot manipulation.” The film currently has a 7% critics score, one of the biggest disparities between critic and audience reviews in Rotten Tomatoes history.
“There has been no bot manipulation on the audience… pic.twitter.com/4dB4PvKgHi
— Variety (@Variety) February 6, 2026
The president claimed that he was so moved by the movie that he watched it twice at the theater and that tickets were selling out fast. He encouraged people to grab their tickets. However, the movie still failed to grab the public’s attention, including in the red states.
The insider claimed that the president fully expects the first lady’s documentary to attract awards. The White House released a statement saying, “The President is very proud of the First Lady and her incredible new film, which has received rave reviews from even the toughest of critics.”
