Apple CEO Tim Cook spent part of his weekend at the White House, attending the premiere of Melania, a documentary focused on Melania Trump ahead of Donald Trump’s second inauguration.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, several tech leaders joined the screening and a private dinner. Attendees included Amazon CEO Andy Jassy, Zoom CEO Eric Yuan, AMD CEO Lisa Su, Amazon chairman Jeff Bezos, and others.
A Private Screening at the White House
The screening took place in a temporary theater built on the White House grounds. The East Wing, where films are usually shown, was torn down to make room for a new ballroom. Guests received framed tickets, copies of Melania Trump’s memoir, and commemorative popcorn boxes served by staff wearing gloves.
Cook has made repeated efforts to maintain a close relationship with Trump. In 2025, he visited the White House several times and met Trump in Japan and at Davos. Apple also donated an undisclosed amount toward the ballroom project. Cook previously gave Trump a glass plaque with a 24-karat gold base and personally donated $1 million to Trump’s inauguration.
About the Film and Its Backers
Melania opens in theaters on January 30, with a premiere scheduled for January 29 at the Kennedy Center. Amazon funded the project, reportedly paying more than $40 million. The film follows Melania Trump from the 2025 campaign through inauguration day.
Director Brett Ratner spent months at Mar-a-Lago while making the documentary. This marks his first directing project since 2014, after multiple women accused him of sexual assault in 2017, leading Warner Bros. to cut ties with him.
Photos shared on social media show Cook seated among the attendees and posing with Ratner. During the Davos trip, Trump publicly praised Cook, saying, “He’s great, he’s done some job.”
The event raised a quiet question in tech circles. If Amazon had not funded the film, would Apple have stepped in instead?
