First Lady Melania Trump hosted a private, black-tie screening of her upcoming documentary at the White House, describing the night as a “historic moment.”
In a Jan. 25 post on X, Melania, 55, shared a photo of herself at a podium facing a large crowd gathered at the White House on Saturday, Jan. 24, for the screening of Melania.
“A Historic Moment,” she wrote. “I am deeply humbled to have been surrounded by an inspiring room of friends, family, and cultural iconoclasts at the White House last night. Each of these individuals brought their unique vision to the world, making a lasting impression.”
“Our personal stories endure time and serve as a reminder of our mutual obligation to one another. It was an honor to present my new film, MELANIA, ahead of its global launch,” she added.
The documentary follows the first lady during the first 20 days of 2025, leading up to President Donald Trump’s second inauguration. Directed by Brett Ratner, the Amazon MGM Studios project includes previously unseen moments from the family’s return to Washington and events surrounding the inauguration, offering a closer look at Melania’s role during that transition.
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():focal(999x0:1001x2):format(webp)/melania-012526-2-b5eb1ad1dfaa4b25a8377809c7312492.jpg)
According to Marc Beckman, an adviser to the first lady, attendees at the event included the president, Ratner, Amazon CEO Andy Jassy, Amazon MGM Studios head Mike Hopkins, Barron Trump, Erika Kirk, Mike Tyson and Queen Rania of Jordan.
In a press release, Melania described the film’s story as “history … in motion,” and said she was eager for audiences to see “a private, unfiltered look as I navigate family, business, and philanthropy on my remarkable journey to becoming First Lady of the United States of America.”
The trailer features Melania preparing for meetings, traveling aboard Air Force One, and appearing alongside her son Barron, 19, at a rally. She promises viewers “exclusive footage of critical meetings, private conversations, and never-before-seen environments.”
Melania is also an executive producer on the documentary, which is licensed by Amazon. Amazon founder Jeff Bezos “took a personal interest” in the film, which reportedly helped strengthen his relationship with the Trumps, per the New York Post.
According to Deadline, Amazon paid $40 million for the rights to the project — a notably large figure for a documentary.
The film is set to premiere on Jan. 30, with another screening scheduled for the night before at the newly renamed Trump Kennedy Center.
President Trump, 79, has not publicly commented on the film since the White House event. However, he told reporters aboard Air Force One on Jan. 11 that what he’d seen so far had impressed him.
“I’ve seen pieces of it, it’s incredible,” he said at the time. “I think it’s going to do very — you know, she did a book, and the book was a big No. 1 bestseller, and this is a movie, and it seems to be captivating a lot of people’s attention.”
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():focal(749x0:751x2):format(webp)/Melania-Trumps-New-Documentary-Examines-the-First-Ladys-Return-to-the-White-House-121725-1-f63428a7039747f7b496f91f04a54a2c.jpg)
The screening came as the Trump administration faced escalating criticism over its immigration crackdown in Minnesota, following the fatal shooting of 37-year-old ICU nurse Alex Pretti by federal officers in Minneapolis.
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz responded in a post on X, saying he had spoken with the White House about what he called the “sickening” shooting.
“The President must end this operation. Pull the thousands of violent, untrained officers out of Minnesota. Now,” Walz added, referring to the president’s deployment of federal agents in the state.
