Nicki Minaj, RFK Jr., and Patriots Proprietor Robert Kraft: See Who Confirmed As much as Melania’s Film Premiere

Posted on by dalelorenzo



The so-called “red carpet” at Melania Trump’s documentary premiere Thursday night was actually black—a detail that somehow set the tone for the entire evening.

Cabinet secretaries showed up. Nicki Minaj showed up. A Kennedy showed up to a building Trump had just renamed after himself. And everyone gathered to celebrate a film that Amazon spent $75 million to acquire and is now projected to earn $3 million its opening weekend.

The guest list at the Trump-Kennedy Center told a story about power, proximity, and who still shows up when called.

Here’s who showed up:

Nicki Minaj

The rapper showed up in a blue off-shoulder gown, generating over 225,000 views on social media. Her attendance came barely a day after receiving a gold card and fast-tracked path to citizenship from the Trump administration—the payoff for months of cozying up to Trump’s circle. The transaction couldn’t have been more obvious.

President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump

The Trumps arrived last, walking what was billed as a “red carpet” but was actually black. Trump chairs the Kennedy Center board after recently filling it with his appointees, then renaming the building after himself. He told reporters the film was “really great” after a private White House screening—a film that cost $75 million and is projected to earn $3 million opening weekend. Even for Trump, that’s uncomfortable math.

President Trump with Patriots Owner Robert Kraft

Kraft sat in the presidential box—a billionaire sports franchise owner watching a First Lady’s documentary at a venue renamed for her husband. The optics captured what Trump’s second term has clarified: proximity to power still runs on wealth and personal relationships, not ideology.

Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Secretary of Health and Human Services

Kennedy walked the carpet at the Kennedy Center—a venue that bore his family’s name for decades until Trump renamed it the “Trump-Kennedy Center” last month. The Health Secretary showed up anyway, one of multiple Cabinet members present. Whatever he felt about watching that happen went unsaid.

Brett Ratner and Marc Beckman

The director and producer arrived together, marking Ratner’s first major public project since multiple women accused him of sexual misconduct in 2017—allegations his lawyer denied. Most of the New York production team refused to have their names attached to the final product. Their presence spoke louder than any PR statement.

Speaker Mike Johnson and Kelly Johnson

The House Speaker brought his wife, representing Congress at what functionally doubled as a state event. The line between official government business and a First Lady’s personal film project had effectively disappeared.

Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and Kimberly Guilfoyle

Lutnick fielded press questions on the carpet alongside Guilfoyle. The Commerce Secretary showing up for an Amazon-distributed film—weeks after Amazon founder Jeff Bezos dined with Trump at Mar-a-Lago and paid $40 million for distribution rights—made the optics crystal clear.

Tony Robbins and Partner

The self-help guru attended with his partner, one of 70 guests at a private White House screening days earlier. Robbins’ presence added celebrity credibility to an event that needed it—early box office tracking suggested the film would open to a dismal $3 million despite a $75 million investment.

Notable Absences

For all the Cabinet members and power players in attendance, several notable figures from Trump’s inner circle were missing from the black carpet.

None of Trump’s adult children—Donald Trump Jr., Eric Trump, Ivanka Trump, or Tiffany Trump—appeared at the premiere, despite the family’s typically visible presence at major Trump events. Barron Trump, the youngest, was also absent.

The tech CEO no-shows were especially telling. Tim Cook (Apple), Andy Jassy (Amazon), Eric Yuan (Zoom), and Lisa Su (AMD) all attended Saturday’s private White House screening—complete with military band, gloved waiters, and framed commemorative tickets. By Thursday night’s Kennedy Center premiere, none of them returned. Apparently 104 minutes was enough.

Mark Zuckerberg (Meta) and Sundar Pichai (Google) skipped both events entirely, despite the administration’s tech-friendly positioning and the fact that their companies face ongoing regulatory scrutiny from Trump’s government.

The Trump Kennedy Center announced attendees throughout the evening, but the guest list skewed heavily toward Cabinet officials and conservative media figures rather than the broader celebrity or tech world.

The film opens Friday on over 1,500 screens—a massive rollout for what Melania insisted Thursday night is “not a documentary” but rather “purposeful storytelling” and “a created experience.”

Call it what you want. The box office projections remain the same.




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