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First lady Melania Trump rang the opening bell of the New York Stock Exchange ahead of an upcoming documentary film.
On Wednesday, January 28, Melania Trump, 55, appeared before Wall Street business leaders to kick off the day’s trading session. Her office said the honor was an opportunity to commemorate “an impactful year of leadership” as first lady during the first 12 months of President Donald Trump’s second term.
New York Stock Exchange President Lynn Martin presented the first lady with a medallion normally given to ringers and said the New York Stock Exchange had created its first engraved commemorative plaque to celebrate the release of first lady Melania Trump’s documentary.
Her husband and son, Barron, did not attend. Donald is in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday morning to headline the U.S. Treasury Summit, which will also include rapper Nicki Minaj and businessman Kevin O’Leary.
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In a short speech before ringing the bell, the first lady spoke about her self-titled documentary, Melania.
“Good storytelling drives culture and, in turn, markets,” she said. “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 of sadness, we need stories of love, we need stories that give us hope,” she continued. “We want to feel human.”
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She touted the film as the “first ever” to see people lead up to the inauguration through the eyes of the first lady, calling her husband’s return to public office a “pivotal time.”
“Visual storytelling and beautiful music create memories that last a lifetime. What do you think of when you hear the Rolling Stones? Michael Jackson?” she said. “Movies bring families and friends together to sit side by side and share a collective moment. In doing so, they don’t just watch a movie, they participate in a great American tradition and become a part of our nation’s history. Thank you for joining us on this historic morning and enjoy the movie.”
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The first lady’s appearance in New York City comes during a busy press week in preparation for the premiere of Melania Trump at the Kennedy Center on Thursday, January 29th, ahead of its worldwide theatrical release on January 30th.
First Lady Melania followed the first lady through the first 20 days of 2025 in preparation for her husband’s second inauguration.
The film, purchased by Amazon MGM Studios for $40 million and directed by Brett Ratner, includes never-before-seen moments leading up to the family’s return to Washington, and highlights Melania’s role in the process.
Several simultaneous invitation-only screenings will be held Thursday night in cities across the United States, including New York, Boston, Las Vegas, and Los Angeles. The press was not invited to any screenings until the film was released in theaters on Friday.
In a Jan. 25 post on X, first lady Melania Trump shared a photo of herself standing at a podium in front of a crowd gathered at the White House on Saturday, Jan. 24, for a private first viewing of the documentary.
“A historic moment,” she wrote from the podium. “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.”
“Our personal stories stand the test of time and serve as reminders of our obligations to each other. It was an honor to screen my new film ‘Melania’ ahead of its worldwide release,” she added.
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CNN reports that approximately $35 million was spent on marketing the film, from billboards to advertising and even the Las Vegas Sphere.
Mark Beckman, Melania’s senior advisor and agent, told One America News that Melania served as an executive producer on the film and was closely involved in the process.
“She was involved in the production, post-production, all the ad campaigns, the trailers. … And when I say involved, I mean she didn’t just approve. She made that trailer. She made the cliffhanger, she chose the music. Same thing with the ad campaign that we’re seeing now in almost 30 countries around the world,” Beckman said.
