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President Donald Trump accompanied First Lady Melania Trump to the premiere of her new documentary “Melania” at the Kennedy Center on Thursday, January 29th.
The first couple walked a red carpet painted black to match the film’s black and white marketing aesthetic before the film opened to a limited audience on Thursday night.
Asked to describe the making of the film in three words, Melania said, “I think people will judge for themselves,” before adding that it was “beautiful,” “emotional,” “fashionable,” and “cinematic.”
“Melania,” acquired by Amazon MGM Studios in a staggering $40 million deal, will be released in theaters worldwide on Friday, January 30th. The film marks the return of director Brett Ratner, who was blacklisted from Hollywood in 2017 after being accused of sexual misconduct by multiple women.
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On Wednesday, January 28, first lady Melania Trump appeared before Wall Street business leaders, teased her film, and rang the opening bell of the New York Stock Exchange.
In a short speech, she said the documentary would be the “first in history” for the nation to see the lead-up to the inauguration through the eyes of the first lady, calling her husband’s return to the presidency “an important moment for America.”
“Good storytelling drives culture, which in turn moves markets,” she said on the NYSE. “In the near future, cultural influence will be as important as economic power. The ability to tell a story and connect emotionally with an audience will be paramount. People want to be moved.”
“We need stories that give us dreams, we need stories that give us hope, we need stories of redemption, we need stories that are sad, we need stories that give us love stories, we need stories that give us hope. We want to feel human,” she added.
Arguing that movies and music can create lifelong memories, he said, “What do you think of when you hear the Rolling Stones? Michael Jackson? Movies bring families and friends together, sitting side by side and sharing a collective moment.”
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Ahead of the official premiere, first lady Melania Trump, 55, hosted a private first viewing of her documentary for friends and family at the White House, calling it a “historic moment” in an X post on Jan. 25.
“I was humbled to be surrounded by friends, family, and an inspiring room of cultural iconoclasts last night at the White House, each of whom brought a unique vision to the world and left a lasting impression,” she said.
The venue for Thursday’s Melania premiere is no coincidence.
Since entering his second term, President Trump has undertaken a broader effort to rebrand the Kennedy Center, replacing the D.C. institution’s board with MAGA supporters who voted to make Trump its president.
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Although the president had referred to the National Center for the Arts as the “Trump Kennedy Center” in speeches and posts for months, the board of trustees said in December that it had voted to change the name of the facility, which was established as a memorial to President John F. Kennedy after his assassination.
Although this rebranding has not been formally adopted by Congress, the sign outside the building was soon updated to read “Donald J. Trump and John F. Kennedy Memorial Performing Arts Center.”
