The Trump family hosted a lavish black-tie premiere at the White House for Melania, Amazon's controversial documentary about the first lady. Guests were given monochrome cookies bearing the name “MELANIA,” branded popcorn buckets, and limited-edition copies of her memoir as they attended the screening on Saturday.
The event took place in a makeshift cinema erected after the original White House screening room was demolished to make way for a new ballroom. The 70 invited guests included boxer Mike Tyson, Amazon CEO Andy Jassy, Apple's Tim Cook, and Queen Rania of Jordan. An orchestra played “Melania’s Waltz,” a bespoke theme composed by Tony Neiman, while guests enjoyed a monochromatic spread of black-and-white macarons, White House-shaped cookies, and popcorn from a vintage dispenser.
The opulent affair drew criticism after 37-year-old nurse Alex Pretti, a U.S. citizen, was fatally shot by a Border Patrol agent in Minnesota on Saturday morning. Critics described the documentary as a “vanity project” and questioned the decision to host such an event amid the tragedy.
The $40 million Amazon-funded film, directed by Brett Ratner, tracks Melania over the 20 days leading up to President Trump’s inauguration. It opens nationwide on January 30. Ratner has not directed a film since 2014's Hercules after facing sexual misconduct allegations in 2017, which he has denied.
Goodie bags included framed screening tickets, commemorative popcorn boxes, gift-wrapped cookies, and a copy of the first lady's book wrapped in white ribbon. An official premiere is scheduled for Thursday at the renamed Donald J Trump and the John F Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts.
