President Donald Trump made headlines for an awkward moment on the red carpet of Melania Trump's movie premiere, leading many to believe he may have forgotten where his wife is from.
The First Lady's new documentary explores her life in 2025 as she prepares for another four years in the White House.
During the premiere, held at the newly renamed Trump Kennedy Center on Thursday (January 29) night, Trump was asked about his thoughts on his wife’s involvement in the film, for which she was reportedly paid $28 million.
The 79-year-old responded positively, saying he was "proud" of Melania and "where she’s come from," but then appeared to struggle when trying to name her country of origin.
“She comes from a faraway country, a wonderful country, clean, beautiful, safe. Doesn’t have problems like others have. But she comes from a very safe country, very good country,” he said, unable to name the country his wife was born in.
While he couldn’t recall the name of her homeland, Trump spoke warmly about his wife and noted her linguistic abilities and “very smart” nature, adding: “She’s a good influencer, of me.”
The exchange quickly went viral, with social media users commenting on Trump’s apparent confusion.
One user remarked, “He forgot where his wife is from…didn’t he? Lol,” while another wrote, “He sounds like he doesn't know where she comes from.” A third added, “When you don’t remember which country your wife is from…”
Melania, born Melania Knauss in 1970, is originally from Slovenia. At the time of her birth, Slovenia was part of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, but after the dissolution of Yugoslavia in the 1990s, Slovenia became an independent country.
Her journey to the US began when she moved to New York in 1996 after securing a modeling contract, which eventually led to her meeting Donald Trump in 1998.
Melania Documentary Faces Struggles at the Box Office
While the red carpet moment captured attention, the film itself is struggling to make an impact at the box office.
Despite a hefty $40 million price tag paid by Amazon MGM to secure the rights to the film, early reports suggest that the documentary will fall far short of recouping its investment.
With an additional $35 million spent on marketing, the film is expected to earn around $5 million during its opening weekend, Deadline shared.
According to The Independent, opening-day ticket sales indicate a lukewarm reception, particularly in major cities.
At the AMC theater in Los Angeles, only 15 of 132 seats were sold for the first screening. Similarly, a screening at the Alamo Drafthouse in New York City saw only two of 31 seats sold in the afternoon, though sales picked up in the evening.
The film has performed better in conservative areas, including Orange County, California, Houston, Texas, and Miami, Florida, with a few screenings completely sold out in places like Vero Beach, Florida, and Independence, Missouri.
However, sales in international markets are also underperforming, with reports of weak ticket sales in the UK and cancellations in South Africa due to “political reasons".
Despite the lackluster box office performance, the First Lady has defended the project, telling CNN that the film’s success is not about financial gain.
"I’m very proud of the film so people may like it, may don’t like it, and that’s their choice," Melania said. "We achieved what we want to achieve. For myself, it’s already successful. I’m very proud of what we did."