Kayleigh McEnany's Outlandish Claim About 'Melania' Has The Internet Explaining How Theaters Work

Former White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany may no longer be a formal part of the Donald Trump administration, but the Fox News host is still on Trump's side. Just take her effusive praise for "Melania," the documentary about the first lady which seemingly only diehard fans want to see. During a Fox News segment, McEnany stated that her mother went to see the movie, claiming, "Not only was the theater packed, it was standing room only if you could sneak into the back of the theater. People were cheering through it; they were excited."

Anyone who has been to a movie theater, even to see a hyped-up film for its first showing on the night of its premiere, can tell you with confidence that standing room only for a 104-minute film just doesn't happen. McEnany could have simply said that it was a sold-out show, which likely wouldn't have caused the derision she received from social media about her claims, but for whatever reason, she had to be as hyperbolic as possible.

Kayleigh: My mom went to see Melania. She said the theater was packed, it was standing room only. People were cheering through it, they were excited. It was interactive—people interplaying with the film. She said it was just electric. pic.twitter.com/dimgT5jGPF

— Acyn (@Acyn) February 2, 2026

Noticing the absurdity of her claims, one person mockingly wrote on X (formerly known as Twitter), "Yeah, movie theaters usually sell tickets that let people just stand in the back. That's totally a thing that happens in real life." Another person added, "And obviously they only use one screen for popular movies, so you have to cram everyone into one at the same time." McEnany was bombarded with many similarly sarcastic comments, but when you tell a story that is this exaggerated, it's hard to imagine how things could have gone differently.

Kayleigh McEnany really set up the opportunity for all kinds of online jokes with her claims about how "Melania" was received. "Standing room only because everyone was running for the exits," one person joked, while another quipped, "'The local fire department would like to have a word with the manager of this establishment.'"

Other people had fun with the fact that, just a couple of days after "Melania" screened at the Kennedy Center, Donald Trump announced that he would be closing the famed performing arts center for two years due to supposed renovations. "Melania did so bad at the box office they are having to shut down and sell off the Kennedy Center to pay for it," someone wrote on X.

Even with the exaggerated reports of packed theaters, "Melania" has not even come close to turning a profit. Some outlets have reported that the movie brought in $7 million for its opening weekend, while Fox News claimed it had grossed $8 million. No matter the number, it's a far cry from the $40 million that Amazon MGM Studios paid for the rights to the film, which doesn't even count the additional $35 million they spent on marketing. While it has certainly made a lot of money for a documentary, most documentaries cost significantly less money. Only time will tell if the film recoups its costs.