On Thursday, January 29, 2026, President Donald Trump reacted sharply to a reporter’s question about the $75 million cost associated with a documentary about First Lady Melania Trump. The enquiry came during the film’s premiere at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C.
Shawn McCreesh, a White House correspondent for the New York Times, questioned Trump on the red carpet about the film’s hefty price, comprising a $40 million production budget and $35 million for promotional activities. McCreesh speculated that this considerable payment from Amazon MGM Studios might indicate corporate corruption and asked Trump if Jeff Bezos was attempting to curry favor with him.
In response, Trump first inquired about the reporter’s employer. After McCreesh introduced himself as a New York Times journalist, Trump labeled the publication as fake news and dismissed the question.
Trump asserted that he had no involvement in the film deal, explaining that it was conducted solely with his wife. He stated that the movie presents a depiction of life in the White House and was produced by Melania herself.
A few minutes later, another reporter questioned Trump about the controversy surrounding Amazon’s payment for the movie rights. The 79-year-old president responded by criticizing former President Obama for accepting a substantial sum of money.
The premiere took place at the venue, which has been renamed the Trump-Kennedy Center. The documentary had been screened at the White House before its public release.
The 108-minute long documentary was released in around 1,500 theaters across the U.S. and Canada on Friday. Initial forecasts indicated that the film may struggle at the box office, with an anticipated opening weekend revenue of just $5 million.
During red-carpet interviews, the 55-year-old first lady described the documentary as beautiful, emotional, fashionable, and cinematic. When asked to summarize the film in three words, Melania Trump said the audience would judge for themselves before providing a more detailed description. She revealed that the film covers the 20 days leading up to the inauguration and also announced an upcoming spinoff docuseries.
The documentary was directed by Brett Ratner, a filmmaker known for his action comedies, who has been accused of sexual abuse since 2017. Amazon MGM Studios funded the project through an agreement with Bezos’ company. Trump reiterated that he played no part in the deal’s negotiation or approval.
The premiere attracted a gathering of Trump administration officials and supporters, including Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, rapper Nicki Minaj, Donald Trump Jr., and his fiancée Bettina Anderson. The president and first lady walked the black carpet together, posing for photos and answering questions from the press.
The film has been negatively reviewed on Letterboxd, with social media users sharing images of near-empty theater screenings.
The documentary’s release on Friday, January 30, 2026, served as a test of public interest in a personal portrayal of the first lady during the transition period between Trump’s election victory and his second inauguration.
