Washington Post Chaos Blows Up after Bezos Drops Millions on Melania Disaster

Feb1, 2026 | Washington Post chaos blows up as journalists try to get owner Jeff Bezos to step in and save his own company as reports of mass layoffs and shuttering key parts of the paper are revealed following Bezos pouring millions into a Melania Trump documentary for clear corruption. John Iadarola and Elliot Morgan break it down on The Damage Report.

Daily Beast: Why Even Trump Is Annoyed at Melania's Doc: Wolff | Inside Trump's Head

Jan 31, 2026 | Michael Wolff and Joanna Coles step inside Donald Trump’s head at a moment when spectacle, grievance, and power collide. They unpack what Melania’s glossy new documentary really reveals about her marriage, money, and leverage. Wolff explains why the newly released Epstein files are reopening uncomfortable truths inside Trump World. They then discuss how the federal response in Minneapolis offers a stark window into how Trump understands authority and force. As these threads converge, Wolff and Coles wonder: is Trump tightening his grip on power—or revealing the fractures that could define what comes next?

Melania Trump Movie: 'This Really Is Like the Worst Episode of Succession' | Janice Turner

Jan 31, 2026 | "If you want to watch a nice rich lady choosing crockery and worrying about the width of her hat band then it's the thing for you."

The trailer for the Melania Trump documentary is "brilliant" but the actual film is "really, really boring", says The Times's Janice Turner.

Melania Trump Cries on Live [TV] after $75 Million Movie Disaster!

Jan 31, 2026 | Emma Lopez breaks down the jaw-dropping flop of Melania Trump's new documentary — the $75 million project that promised glamour but delivered empty theaters and brutal silence. From canceled screenings to savage reviews, find out why this "cinematic" disaster is already legendary.

Melania: “A Movie about One of the World’s Most Reviled Women.”

Steve Schmidt gives us the low-down.

Melania Trumps Flop-Dok: Welcher Deal steckt wirklich dahinter ?

Jan 30, 2026 | Die First Lady steht im Fokus einer Dokumentation, die jetzt Premiere feierte. Vor allem die Finanzierung durch Amazon fällt auf.

Inhaltlich sind die Erwartungen an den Melania-Film klein; die Kinotickets verkaufen sich bisher nur schleppend. Daher erstaunt es, dass Milliardär Jeff Bezos mit seinem Unternehmen Amazon insgesamt 75 Millionen Dollar in den Film gesteckt haben soll. Für eine Dokumentation ist das eine sehr grosse Summe. Worum es bei diesem Deal in Wirklichkeit gehen könnte, erfahrt ihr in dieser Podcast-Folge.

At ‘Melania’ Premiere, the President Sees ‘Glamour’ and Others See Graft*

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.

Steve Schmidt: Trump and the Collapse of Decency

Jan 30, 2026 | Last night, Melania Trump held the premiere of a movie no one wants to watch. Steve Schmidt condemns Trump’s sycophants for celebrating a blatant act of corruption while they continue assaulting constitutional rights.

Related links here and here.

Melania Trump Documentary Pulled From South African Theaters

THE NEW YORK TIMES: The distributor, which was set to release the film on Friday, said it had canceled the theatrical premiere because of “recent developments,” but declined to specify.

“Melania,” the new documentary about the first lady, scheduled to open worldwide on Friday, has been pulled from theaters in South Africa after the film’s local distributor said on Wednesday that it would no longer release it.

“Based on recent developments, we’ve taken the decision to not go ahead with a theatrical release in territory,” said Thobashan Govindarajulu, the head of sales and marketing for the distributor, Filmfinity.

Mr. Govindarajulu declined to say what recent developments had led to the decision, but said that the company was not pressured or asked to pull the film. “That was our decision,” he said. The decision was first reported by the South African outlet News24.

The promotion of the film about Melania Trump has been as polarizing as her husband, President Trump, who has touted the movie as a “must watch.” But theaters have reported thin advanced ticket sales, despite Amazon investing $40 million for the rights to the film and spending tens of millions more on marketing, which industry analysts saw as a big risk. » | John Eligon | Reporting from Johannesburg | Wednesday, January 28, 2026

The Melania Film Is a 'Vanity Project' No One Will Watch | Josh Glancy

Jan 29, 2026 | "This is a sop."

The Melania film is "soap propaganda" but does show that the American commercial establishment has "bent the knee" to Trump, says associate editor of The Sunday Times, Josh Glancy.


Class and Trump are oxymorons, naturally, but I could not help but notice that the font that has been used for Melania's name in this vanity project film is the same font as the fashion House of Chanel uses! Chanel, of course, is synonymous with, the epitome of, class (and style) in the world of fashion. So, as Melania is so self-evidently a dedicated follower of fashion and behaves as the arbiter of style extraordinaire—she would almost certainly insist that she is a trendsetter rather than a follower—but nevertheless, I am convinced that the font that has been used for the name of this film has been used for subliminal purposes: they wanted the person reading the name of the film to associate Melania with class (and style) without realising that they are doing so! — © Mark Alexander

”I Guess Tim Cook Doesn’t Think He Has the Power to Make a Difference.”

Tim Miller gives us the low down.