The premiere of Melania Trump’s new documentary was meant to be a controlled, image-conscious return to the spotlight. Instead, it has turned into a small but telling display of Trump family rivalry, staged across two competing afterparties just minutes apart in Washington, D.C.
On Thursday night, guests attending the Amazon MGM-backed screening at the Kennedy Center will be funneled toward an official, invitation-only afterparty tied directly to the film. Roughly 250 people are expected, mostly producers, financiers, and political allies connected to the project. According to the Irish Star, the event is being described “proper producers’ party,” heavy on significance and light on spontaneity.
Five minutes away, Donald Trump Jr. is hosting his own invite-only gathering.
The location is The Executive Branch, the Georgetown private club he co-founded, and the message is unmistakable. With Akon scheduled to perform, cocktails and canapés are sure to follow. However, be sure to note that there is no overlap in branding, no shared guest list, and no attempt to pretend this is just spillover from the main event.
Two afterparties will take place in Washington, D.C., on Thursday night following the premiere of the much-hyped and criticized documentary, ‘Melania.’ There is the official one, and then there is Donald Trump Jr.’s.https://t.co/dTI3S282yA
— The Daily Beast (@thedailybeast) January 29, 2026
Officially, there’s no feud. Unofficially, few in Washington miss what this looks like.
The competing parties land at an awkward moment for Melania Trump, whose $40 million documentary is already facing a chilly reception. Early ticket sales appear soft, with screenshots circulating online showing large blocks of empty seats at U.S. theaters ahead of its wide release on Friday. Internationally, the rollout has been bumpier, with South African screenings reportedly pulled without explanation.
Behind the scenes, discontent appears to have crept into the production itself. Multiple reports say crew members asked not to be credited, while other apparently said that they would “feel great” if the film flopped. Negative ratings have piled up from users openly admitting they haven’t watched it.
Against that backdrop, Trump Jr.’s decision to host a rival afterparty reads less like coincidence and more like commentary.
The Executive Branch is not a casual venue. The club charges a six-figure initiation fee and caters to Trump-aligned political figures and donors. Hosting there on the same night as Melania’s premiere plants Trump Jr. firmly at the center of his own ecosystem, adjacent to the brand, but not subordinate to it.
Eric Adams will attend the “Melania” doc premiere at the Kennedy Center this evehttps://t.co/C7XZGXFAcR
— David Freedlander (@freedlander) January 29, 2026
As far as Ivanka Trump is concerned, it is unclear if she will be in attendance at either party. Long rumored to have a strained relationship with Melania, Ivanka has kept her distance from the documentary and its promotion. In fact, there may be a lingering resentment between the two women, dating back to Melania’s early years in the White House, when power dynamics inside the family were far from settled.
In that context, Thursday’s split-screen premiere looks less like logistics and more like old habits resurfacing.
For a family that prizes loyalty and optics, the quiet decision to divide the night speaks volumes. No speeches will mention it and no statements will explain it. But in Washington, proximity is power, and distance is rarely accidental.
By the end of the night, Melania may have her premiere. Trump Jr. will have his crowd. And the Trump family’s long-running, carefully managed rivalries will once again be playing out in plain sight.
