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My Movie Night With America’s Most Enigmatic First Lady

A rare glimpse behind the curtain

Ashley E Brasfield's avatar
Ashley E Brasfield
Jan 30, 2026
∙ Paid
(Photo by Brendan SMIALOWSKI / AFP via Getty Images)

Hey y’all!

It’s not every day you get a film premiere while working in Washington, D.C., and even less common to have some of the most powerful figures in politics walking the red carpet of that premiere.

My Thursday night was spent covering the red carpet and attending the premiere of First Lady Melania Trump’s new film, Melania. This was no typical movie premiere — the guest list packed a punch, with notable attendees including rapper Nicki Minaj, Patriots owner and Kraft Group CEO Robert Kraft, television personality Dr. Phil McGraw, and Fox News host Maria Bartiromo.

My time on the carpet was spent interviewing political heavyweights like Dr. Mehmet Oz, Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff, Republican Oklahoma Senator Markwayne Mullin, podcaster Patrick Bet-David and the stars of the night, the first couple of the United States.

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