Top Trump Goons Dare to Skip Melania’s Big Night
Two Trump Cabinet members are reportedly sitting out the first lady’s cinematic debut.
The Trump Cabinet is packing the house for Melania Trump’s film premiere Thursday evening—so a pair of absences will be hard to miss.
Most of President Donald Trump’s Cabinet is expected to dutifully attend the Kennedy Center for the premiere of the 55-year-old first lady’s $75 million documentary, Melania.
According to The Washington Times, only two of the 15 Cabinet members are skipping Melania’s big night: Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard and Energy Secretary Chris Wright.
Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard is skipping out on Melania Trump's cinematic debut.
Alex Wong/Getty Images
Energy Secretary Christ Wright will also miss the event. Both him and Gabbard attended Thursday’s Cabinet meeting at the White House.
Alex Wong/Getty Images
Gabbard, 44, and Wright, 61, are reportedly missing the event due to prior obligations. Both attended Thursday’s Cabinet meeting at the White House. The Daily Beast has reached out to their offices for comment.
Those who are turning up for Melania’s cinematic debut include Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Attorney General Pam Bondi, Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., FBI Director Kash Patel, border czar Tom Homan, and Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz, The Hollywood Reporter previously reported.
The rest of the Trump Cabinet is reportedly making the trip to the Kennedy Center to see ‘Melania.’
Brendan Smialowski/Getty Images
Donald Trump Jr., pregnant second lady Usha Vance, and Trump’s chief of staff Susie Wiles will also make the trip to the Kennedy Center, alongside a host of Z-list celebrities.
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VIP guests include former New York City Mayor Eric Adams, Dr. Phil, Fox News host Maria Bartiromo, rapper Waka Flocka Flame, Indian composer A.R. Rahman, social media magician Pete Anthony Sciarrino III, Jordan Belfort—the real-life inspiration for The Wolf of Wall Street—and several former NFL players and UFC fighters, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
President Donald Trump, who saw the movie at a private screening on Saturday, is also joining Melania for the premiere.
Joe Raedle/Getty Images
The film, which chronicles Melania’s 20 days leading up to becoming first lady once again, will be released worldwide on Friday—though it has been pulled from theaters in South Africa.
The vanity project—which Jeff Bezos’ Amazon invested $75 million in—is expected to flop badly. CNN data analyst Harry Enten reported on Thursday that Melania is projected to earn as little as $1 million on its opening weekend.
“For this giant investment, and this is getting a very wide release, not so hot to trot,” Enten said.
The gloomy box office outlook comes despite Melania—directed by Rush Hour director and accused sex offender Brett Ratner—receiving an all-out marketing blitz from the Trumps.
The president, 79, used his Truth Social account to call his wife’s documentary a “MUST WATCH” and claimed that theaters were “selling out fast!” despite evidence to the contrary.
Melania rang the bell at the New York Stock Exchange on Wednesday, where a disinterested crowd had to be encouraged to clap more by NYSE president Lynn Martin.
She also plugged her film on Fox News’ The Five, describing it as an opportunity to see “who I am.”
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