THE NEW YORK TIMES: Amazon paid Melania Trump’s production company $40 million for the movie and then paid another $35 million to promote it.
President Trump, Melania Trump and the top ranks of the Trump administration descended on the John F. Kennedy Center for Performing Arts on Thursday night for the premiere of “Melania,” a documentary the first lady executive produced.
“It’s glamorous, very glamorous,” the president explained as his wife posed for pictures against huge, glowing sans serif letters spelling out her name.
“We need some glamour,” Mr. Trump added.
But what some saw as glamour, others saw as a blatant act of corporate corruption. Amazon paid $40 million to the first lady’s production company for the film rights and then ponied up another $35 million to promote it. The film’s marketing budget is 10 times what another big documentary would generally get.
As Mr. Trump traipsed before shouting reporters and photographers along a red carpet setup — the carpet was actually black, in keeping with his wife’s preference for black-and-white everything — he was asked if the whole affair wasn’t really just an attempt by Amazon’s founder, Jeff Bezos, and his executives to get in good with the Trump government.
“I don’t know, really. I’m not involved,” he said. “It was done with my wife. I think it’s a very important movie. It shows life in the White House. It’s a big deal, actually.” » | Shawn McCreesh | Reporting from the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington | Friday, January 30, 2026
* In the US, graft is the word used to describe the unscrupulous use of political authority for personal gain. For example, re-directing public funds to private interests.
