‘No one saw that coming’: Critics pan ‘Melania’ with abysmal score, but Americans love first lady film, giving it astonishing rating
PALM BEACH, Florida – The new film “Melania,” which scored the best box-office opening for a documentary in more than a decade with $8 million, apparently has a huge disconnect between professional critics and regular Americans.
The viewing public is raving about the movie that details the 20 days in the first lady’s life before President Donald Trump took office for the second time, giving the film an astonishing 99% approval on Rotten Tomatoes.
The critics, however, dissed the film, proffering a score of just 11%.
BOOM! “MELANIA” is CRUSHING it: 99% audience LOVE, but woke “experts” trash it at 11%.
Flip side: Fauci flick gets 86% from critics, but real Americans give it a pathetic 2%
The disconnect is insane. The people adore our classy, unstoppable First Lady!pic.twitter.com/yKivCFeOvn
— Gunther Eagleman (@GuntherEagleman) February 1, 2026
Clay Travis, founder of Outkick, was asked Sunday by Jacqui Heinrich of Fox News why the disparity between professional film critics and the public.
“Because critics hate Donald Trump,” Travis said. “He could have made ‘Citizen Kane,’ they could have made ‘The GodFather Part One or Two’ and if Donald Trump were affiliated with it, it would get a 10% approval.
“[On the] flip side, the fans, the actual humans that go to see the movie, are Trump fans. I’ve heard the movie is good, I’ve not seen it yet, but congrats to Melania and the president. That’s a tremendous success to have that level of revenue coming in for a documentary.”
Regarding the box-office take of at least $8 million, the Hollywood Reporter noted: “No one saw that coming, with many suggesting Melania was a bomb before it even opened based on empty, or nearly empty, seat maps in cinemas across the country.
“The pic is galvanizing conservatives in the South and South-central part of the country, and specifically older females over the age of 55, who made up 72% of the opening-day audience. And a stunning 78% of all ticket buyers were 55 and older.”
The Reporter indicated Amazon, which is owned by Washington Post owner Jeff Bezos, paid $75 million for distribution rights and to market the film, making it the most expensive documentary in history.
In a commentary at the Washington Post, columnist Monica Hesse writes: “There is a controversial new Amazon documentary about Melania Trump released this weekend and every single review I’ve read has been terrible, but babe, if you suspect I have come here today to trash a movie about the wife of a notoriously thin-skinned, anti-journalist president, which was bankrolled by the company owned by the man who also pays my salary – NOT TODAY, SATAN. Do you think I’m a moron? (Don’t answer that.) This house is clean.”
Column by Monica Hesse: First lady Melania Trump has an impenetrable quality that makes it impossible to gauge what she’s actually thinking.
Her new documentary, “Melania,” promised to answer our questions. However, it did not. https://t.co/qvEjV0sckk
— The Washington Post (@washingtonpost) January 31, 2026
Travis was asked about Hesse’s comment, and told Fox News: “I think the Washington Post is actually starting to get somewhat sane. I went to college in D.C. I used to read that newspaper before it lost its mind, and it feels to me like they have made some improvements there. I would suggest maybe pulling ‘Democracy Dies in Darkness’ off the masthead, but that’s just me.”
Pastor Robert Jeffress of First Baptist Dallas and host of “Pathway to Victory” shared of some “church ladies” attending the film this weekend.
Some of our “church ladies” at the new movie MELANIA that includes my prayer for the President and First Lady! @FLOTUS @POTUS pic.twitter.com/OzDupYdjm5
— Dr. Robert Jeffress (@robertjeffress) January 31, 2026
President Trump on Saturday posted: “Last night I saw, ‘MELANIA,’ for the second time. The audience loved it, and so do I. Check it out – A MUST SEE!”
Last night I saw, “MELANIA,” for the second time. The audience loved it, and so do I. Check it out — A MUST SEE! https://t.co/rjwd5Appkv
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 31, 2026
BREAKING: Gen-Z girls are now flooding movie theaters in groups to watch First Lady Melania Trump’s hit new movie “MELANIA.”
This is incredible.
It’s about time girls have a role model truly worthy of looking up to.
Follow: @BoLoudon pic.twitter.com/kFMAdxzCZq
— Bo Loudon (@BoLoudon) February 1, 2026
WATCH THE TRAILER FOR ‘MELANIA’:
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