The cheekbones. The dead-eyed stare. The big hats. That White House Christmas photo. For decades now, people have been wondering: Who is Melania Trump? The First Lady opens her 2024 memoir with a story about leaving her family in Slovenia to immigrate to America as a 26-year-old model. Ten years later, she became an American citizen. “It was not an easy process,” she writes. “And my personal experience dealing with the trials of the immigration process opened my eyes to the difficulties faced by all who wish to become US citizens.”
OK, but what does that mean, exactly? Her husband, in both his terms as president, put harshly enforcing immigration policy at the center of his domestic agenda. This is all to say that I was authentically excited to see Melania, the documentary that Amazon paid $40 million to acquire and $35 million to market. The director, Brett Ratner, previously accused of sexual misconduct by six different women, is currently in the news thanks to his appearance in a photo included in the most recent dump of Epstein files. (Rattner has previously denied sexual misconduct allegations.) What is Melania like behind closed doors? The trailer—a monument to editing wizardry—reveals little except that Mrs. Trump perhaps didn’t attend her husband’s inauguration (ultimately she did).
It turns out, I’m not the only one who wanted to watch. While a WIRED analysis found only two movie theaters had sold out opening day screenings, local Republican groups across the country arranged parties to support the film, helping opening weekend reach $7 million or so in ticket sales. WIRED attended two such events, in Florida and California, to ask people what they love about the First Lady, what they make of her recent foray into artificial intelligence, and what, ultimately, they too want to find out about her.
Interviews have been edited and condensed for clarity.
Photograph: Zack Wittman
Name: Darlene Lauzurique
Immigration is leading the news, and Mrs. Trump was born in Slovenia. What do you think the media gets right and wrong about the Trumps’ attitudes toward immigration?
Oh, that's a hot topic for me. I'm an immigrant like Melania. But I came here legally, and I did everything by the books. And I believe that this country will give the opportunity to other people to immigrate and grow and have a business—have a dream. I consider myself the American dream because I have a business. My property is paid off. I have investments and so on. And I don't want to be cocky, but it's the truth. But everything has to go by the book and by law, law and order. That's it.