Melania Trump is at the receiving end of a controversy yet again, thanks to her dubious President’s Day post. For those awaiting an all-welcoming post on a federal holiday meant for honoring past U.S. presidents – her social media move had nothing to do with it, according to netizens. In fact, social media users are certain it had some kind of double meaning and was unrelated.
On President’s Day 2026, Melania made two different posts, both of which somewhat promoted her newly released documentary film, Melania. The first post included a poster of the movie along with some quotes from critics and reviews. The first lady gave it all to showcase all the positive appreciation coming toward her documentary and captioned it, “Don’t miss your chance to see MELANIA in theaters before its run ends. Experience the immersive visuals and sound on the big screen today.”
Don’t miss your chance to see MELANIA in theaters before its run ends. Experience the immersive visuals and sound on the big screen today. pic.twitter.com/v6NdhLF27B
— MELANIA TRUMP (@MELANIATRUMP) February 16, 2026
In her second post, Melania shared a snap with her husband, President Donald Trump.
She captioned it, “Happy President’s Day!”, followed by the American flag emoji. However, what grabbed the attention of netizens was the fact that the duo’s picture was from the premiere of the documentary, showing the couple standing before a billboard of the film’s name. This led many to believe that the first lady’s celebratory mood had nothing to do with the history of the day.
Critics were quick to respond to the posts on social media. A user on Reddit wrote, “I always thought this Presidents’ Day was in memory of George Washington’s birthday, and thereafter, subsequent Presidents. Why is Melania attaching herself to this celebration?”
Happy President’s Day! 🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/PWRNlTF9jD
— MELANIA TRUMP (@MELANIATRUMP) February 16, 2026
Moreover, Melania’s posts also received backlash from prominent newspapers. While Daily Mail dubbed it “shameless”, The Daily Beast wrote Melania was “desperately promoting herself”. This is, in fact, the second time the first lady has faced criticism for promoting her film during unrelated events.
A few days back, Melania referenced her documentary during a formal White House event that honored the freedom of Israeli-American hostages. The moment was captured on camera, sparking online backlash.
Later, the press questioned the first lady about if the promotion of her film at that event was appropriate. The 55-year-old said, “This is not promotion. We are here celebrating the release of the hostages, of Aviva and Keith. They were in Washington, D.C., and they called me. They said they would like to come over to thank me and to give hugs. That’s why we are here. It has nothing to do with promotion.”
💐🇺🇸 TRUMP DODGES VALENTINE’S QUESTION
🔴 When asked if he gave Melania flowers for Valentine’s Day, President Trump smiled and said: “Better not tell you… that’s the toughest question.”
😂 The lighthearted moment drew laughs from reporters and quickly spread across social… pic.twitter.com/XN2nYRSBIG
— THE INFORMANT USA 🇺🇸 (@TheInformantUSA) February 17, 2026
The first lady’s documentary follows the 20 days leading up to her Trump’s second inauguration at the White House. Filmed in January, it shows behind-the-scenes moments between the couple.
The project was backed by Amazon MGM Studios, which spent a whopping $75 million on it. It was released on January 30, and has received divided responses from the audience.
