The release of the film Melania has seen the president and first lady grace the red carpet for its world premiere, but it seemed Donald Trump might have been unsure of his wife’s origins.
This documentary, for which Amazon invested $40 million, follows Melania Trump in 2025 during her preparation for another term in the White House, offering viewers an inside look at the first family.
At the premiere, hosted at the newly renamed Trump Kennedy Center, family support appeared minimal. Melania’s son Barron was absent, as were Donald Trump’s other children, Ivana, Eric, and Ivanka.
The situation grew tense on the red carpet when President Trump was asked about his wife’s involvement in the film, for which she was compensated $28 million. He expressed pride in Melania due to her background but seemed unable to name her country of origin.
Speaking to reporters, Trump discussed his wife’s homeland but seemed to struggle with remembering her birthplace. He remarked: “She comes from a faraway country, a wonderful country, clean, beautiful, safe. Doesn’t have problems like others have. But she comes from a very safe country, very good country.”
Despite his inability to specify her birthplace, Trump spoke highly of Melania’s intelligence, saying: “It’s different, and she speaks a lot of languages, very smart, understands what happens. And she’s a good influencer, of me.”
Many who observed the premiere noticed the president’s slip, leading them to comment on social media that ‘he has no idea what country his wife is from,’ and question ‘he forgot where his wife is from…didn’t he? lol’.
Melania, 55, was born in the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia in 1970. The country later became Slovenia after the death of Tito and the dissolution of the USSR.
The former republic eventually descended into years of conflict and nationalism.
Trump: She comes from a faraway country, a wonderful country, clean, beautiful, safe. Doesn't have problems like others have. But she comes from a very safe country, very good country. It's different, and she speaks a lot of languages pic.twitter.com/I76CVeShTR
— Acyn (@Acyn) January 30, 2026
Melania, who began her modeling career at 16, managed to leave the Balkans in 1996 when she received a contract that allowed her to move to the US.
Two years later, she met Donald Trump, then a property magnate, and the rest is history, or at least the focus of what is reportedly the most expensive documentary ever commissioned.
With the documentary now screening globally (January 30), early indications suggest the expensive Amazon venture might not perform well at the Box Office. Nonetheless, Melania has defended the film.
In an interview with CNN, Melania expressed that the $40 million project was not about box office earnings. She stated: “I’m very proud of the film, so people may like it, may don’t like it, and that’s their choice.
“We achieved what we want to achieve. For myself, it’s already successful. I’m very proud of what we did.”