First Lady Melania Trump opens up about her security concerns in the months following two assassination attempts against her husband, President Donald Trump, in her new documentary Melania, which premiered at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., and hit theaters the following day.
The film captures Melania’s life in the 20 days leading up to Trump’s second inauguration in January 2025.
During the 2024 campaign, Trump faced multiple threats. In July, while at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, he was shot in the ear by 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks, who fired from a rooftop about 150 yards away. Secret Service agents quickly escorted Trump offstage, revealing the injury. In September, 58-year-old Ryan Wesley Routh was arrested after a Secret Service agent spotted the barrel of a rifle near Trump during a golf outing in West Palm Beach marking what authorities described as a second attempt on his life.
Directed by Brett Ratner and executive produced by Melania herself, the 104-minute documentary reportedly cost around $75 million, with Amazon spending $40 million to acquire it and another $35 million on marketing, making it one of the most expensive documentaries ever made.
Throughout the film, Melania is shown closely guarded by Secret Service agents, especially during travel. She shares her apprehensions about safety, particularly regarding public appearances. Discussing inauguration plans, she questions, “How did this area get secured? Does everybody get screened? Are we getting out of the car?” She adds, “Because if we go out, I think people will already know where we would go out. So it’s kind of like, how could that be safe? Especially with the last year, what’s going on and stuff. I have concerns, honestly.”
After the July shooting, Melania issued a statement reflecting on the danger she and her family faced: “When I watched that violent bullet strike my husband, Donald, I realized my life, and Barron’s life, were on the brink of devastating change.” She described the attacker as a “monster who recognized my husband as an inhuman political machine” and aimed to destroy not just Trump but also his passion, joy, and creativity.
The documentary also touches on her son, Barron Trump, who reportedly prefers staying inside the car during events, a choice Melania respects. When the inauguration was eventually moved indoors due to weather, she expressed relief, saying, “In truth, I was relieved. Being in a more secure and closed space brought a certain peace of mind.”
Early reports on the film’s reception indicate modest audience turnout. Newsweek attended a morning screening in New York City with only three other viewers present. Sparse attendance has been noted elsewhere, with a WIRED analysis identifying just two sold-out theaters in the U.S. one in Florida and another in Missouri suggesting soft box-office expectations so far.
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