Two Trump Cabinet members bail on Melania film screening

2026/01/30 06:01

First Lady Melania Trump's eponymous film is debuting this weekend — but two of her husband's top officials are already giving excuses for not attending a viewing event.

The conservative Washington Times reported Thursday that "Melania" will be screening for a select audience at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington D.C. The First Couple will be in attendance for tonight's viewing, along with the president's Cabinet — save for two members.

"Intelligence chief Tulsi Gabbard and Energy Secretary Chris Wright had previous obligations," the Washington Times reported, without details on Gabbard and Wright's prior engagements. Both officials were present at the White House for Thursday's Cabinet meeting.

According to the Daily Beast, the screening will also be attended by White House chief of staff Susie Wiles and Second Lady Usha Vance. Other guests include a smattering of celebrities and public figures including Fox host Maria Bartiromo, former New York City Mayor Eric Adams, rapper Waka Flocka Flame, convicted fraudster Jordan Belfort (who inspired the film The Wolf of Wall Street) along with various NFL players and UFC fighters.

Melania's film is projected to bomb at the box office, with CNN data analyst Harry Enten observing that the film is only expected to bring in $1 million to $5 million in ticket sales during its opening weekend. Enten also noted that online betting markets put strong odds at the film scoring 20 percent or less on film review site Rotten Tomatoes. This is despite Amazon paying Melania Trump $40 million for the exclusive rights to the film, and spending $35 million on advertising.

The first lady recently appeared on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) earlier this week to ring the opening bell – which is often a tradition for celebrities promoting an upcoming project. When she was greeted with a lukewarm reception, NYSE Group President Lynn Martin could be seen on video lifting her arms up to the assembled crowd of traders, encouraging them to clap harder.

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