Trump White House Hosts Amazon MGM’s ‘Melania’ Screening As Nationwide Furor Intensifies O
January 25, 2026
The White House hosted screening of Amazon MGM Studios‘ upcoming documentary Melania on Saturday, as the furor intensified over the latest killing in Minneapolis by a federal immigration agent.
The event drew figures including Amazon CEO Andy Jassy, Amazon MGM Studio head Mike Hopkins, Barron Trump, Tony Robbins, Brett Ratner, Erika Kirk, Mike Tyson, Queen Rania of Jordan, New York Stick Exchange CEO Lynn Martin and Zoom CEO Eric Yuan, General Electric CEO Larry Culp, in addition to First Lady Melania Trump and President Donald Trump, Marc Beckman, an adviser to the first lady, posted on X.
Spokespersons for Amazon did not respond to requests for comment.
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The event was on the president’s schedule made public on Friday. On Saturday, one or more federal agents shot and killed Alex Pretti, who was participating in an ICE protest in Minneapolis. Although the Department of Homeland Security claimed that Pretti posed a threat to agents as “approached US Border Patrol officers with a 9 mm semi-automatic handgun,” the government’s narrative of events quickly was contradicted by videos posted to social media. Washington Post and CNN analyses showed that a federal agent had retrieved a gun from Pretti’s belt before shots were fired.
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio Cortez (D-NY) blasted the administration for hosting the screening amid several unfolding crises. She posted on X that “DHS assassinated a VA nurse in the street, Bondi is attempting to extort voter files, and half the country is bracing on the eve of a potentially crippling ice storm with FEMA gutted. So what is the President up to? Having a movie night at the White House.”
The documentary, directed by Ratner, is billed at a candid look at Melania Trump in the weeks leading up to her husband’s inauguration. It is scheduled to premiere on Jan. 30, with a screening at the Kennedy Center scheduled for the night before. Amazon reportedly paid $40 million for the rights to the project, a huge sum for a documentary. The company’s founder, Jeff Bezos, was among the tech titans who attended Trump’s inauguration last year.
The black tie screening was held in the East Room, projected on a giant display and guests seated in rows of chairs. The White House did have a movie theater, but it was torn down along with the Colonnade and East Wing as part of the president’s plan to construct a new ballroom. A new theater is planned as part of the project.
The first lady posted on X on Sunday, “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 each 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.”
In a post on X on Sunday, Beckman wrote, “Last evening marked a truly magnificent occasion. The First Lady hosted an intimate, private black-tie screening of her new film at the White House, shared among close friends and family. The evening was defined by extraordinary warmth, grace, and a palpable sense of love – an atmosphere as moving as it was unforgettable.”
Reuters and The Hollywood Reporter first reported on the guest list for the event.
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