Donald Trump Can't Resist Belittling Melania During Her Big Documentary Moment

The new documentary "Melania" got its name for a reason: it's all about Melania Trump. Specifically, it follows Melania's life leading up to Donald Trump's 2025 inauguration. A big, flashy movie premiere with Melania's name up in lights, all about a film that puts a grandiose spin on Donald's second inauguration — this seems like it would be right up the controversial president's alley. Yet, Donald may not have been as pleased with the documentary as we would have thought. In it, he made some comments that seemed aimed to take the attention off his wife and put it back on him. Based on his attitude in the film, we wouldn't be surprised to see a documentary called "Donald" in the works with an even bigger budget.

It never really seems like Donald will be winning any husband of the year awards from Melania. And, based on his behavior in "Melania," things aren't looking too good for 2026, either. According to a staffer from The List who attended a January 30 screening of the film, Donald seemed to grasp at any opportunity to steal Melania's spotlight. And, he apparently didn't mind if this meant putting her down. "She's very difficult, but [there's] nobody like her," he said about the first lady. At one point in the documentary, a cameraman noted how great it must be for Donald to have such a wonderful first lady by his side. Yet, rather than simply agreeing, Donald stressed that the presidency is more important.

Melania Trump is known for being a private person. Her role as first lady demands that she is in the public eye, but she seldom seems to spend anymore time in the spotlight than necessary. Donald Trump, on the other hand, is definitely a big fan of having all eyes on him. So, while it isn't exactly shocking that he sought as much attention and praise as possible in this documentary, it is a little surprising that he didn't give his wife this rare moment to shine. In fact, he pretty explicitly did the opposite. The film showed Melania making a suggestion for Trump's inauguration speech, advising that he use the line, "My proudest legacy will be that of a peacemaker and unifier," which ultimately made it into the speech. Yet, Donald asked that footage of Melania suggesting this line be kept out of the film. Melania asked that the moment be left in, and clearly, she won the battle in the end.

This simple moment says a lot. Donald couldn't bear letting Melania take credit for even one small idea. Instead, he wanted the world to believe that the idea was his. Past presidents would have actually liked the optics of the first lady coming up with a line in their inauguration speech. Once again, though, Donald struggles to share the spotlight — even when it would make him look better to do so.