Recent reports suggest that the box office numbers for First Lady Melania Trump's documentary may have been artificially boosted due to pressure on military personnel.
According to the Military Religious Freedom Foundation (MRFF), thousands of active-duty U.S. service members were allegedly encouraged or even pressured by their superiors to attend the premiere of Melania in theaters. The $75 million Amazon-backed documentary, directed by Brett Ratner, focuses on the 2025 presidential inauguration and Melania Trump's return to public life. Ratner, whose name appeared in the Epstein files, has faced repeated sexual assault and harassment allegations, though he denies them. The film debuted on January 30 and earned only $7 million at the box office.
The documentary was widely mocked for drawing nearly empty theaters and received predominantly negative reviews. MRFF founder Mikey Weinstein told Business Insider that he had received multiple letters from troops stationed at at least eight military facilities worldwide, claiming their pro-MAGA commanders pressured them into buying tickets. This controversy echoes other recent instances where Donald Trump stirred public attention, including moments like when Trump predicted he’d survive political challenges and when Fox News coverage paused during his statements.
“People are scared,” Weinstein said. “Your military superior isn’t just a manager at Starbucks—they have total control over your career and wellbeing.”
One letter, reviewed by independent journalist Jonathan Larsen, described a service member attending the screening out of fear of punishment from their unit commander. The troop noted that the commander often wore red MAGA hats and had made it clear that non-support for the Trump administration would not be well received.
The letter explained that attending the film was framed as one of three monthly “unit activity events” intended for bonding among service members and their families. The troop wrote, “…he ‘advised’ our unit members and their families to join him and his children for a showing of the new documentary. When he said ‘advised,’ we knew what that meant. We feel powerless to oppose it.”
Weinstein emphasized that such coercion could harm military cohesion rather than strengthen it. “It tears the unit down,” he said. “It’s like injecting cancer into the body of a military unit.”
The Department of Defense, however, strongly denied the allegations, telling both Business Insider and Larsen that no directive exists requiring service members to view the film. A spokesperson added, “[There] is no Department of War directive mandating attendance, though the film is fantastic.”
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