President Donald Trump hosted an exclusive private movie night at the White House on Saturday, screening a documentary centered on First Lady Melania Trump. The event, which was not open to the press pool according to the White House's public calendar, featured the Amazon MGM Studios film that offers unprecedented access to the 20 days leading up to the 2025 Presidential Inauguration through Melania Trump's perspective.
Political Backlash Over Priorities
The private screening prompted immediate and sharp criticism from Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who questioned the president's priorities amid multiple domestic crises unfolding simultaneously. In a social media post, Ocasio-Cortez highlighted several urgent issues including a fatal ICE shooting in Minneapolis, attempts to extort voter files, and half the country bracing for a potentially crippling ice storm with FEMA resources gutted.
"Today DHS assassinated a VA nurse in the street, Bondi is attempting to extort voter files, and half the country is bracing on the eve of a potentially crippling ice storm with FEMA gutted. So what is the President up to? Having a movie night at the White House. He's unfit," Ocasio-Cortez wrote in her reaction to the screening.
Minneapolis Shooting Incident
The backlash came amid another federal agent-involved shooting in Minneapolis on Saturday morning. Multiple videos shared online and eyewitness accounts show a confrontation between federal agents and a man in south Minneapolis near 26th Street and Nicollet Avenue. Authorities later confirmed the man was shot and killed.
Local officials have released few verified details about the sequence of events, stating they had little direct information from federal authorities as they responded to the scene. Federal authorities claimed that Alex Pretti, identified as an ICU nurse, was armed with a gun and two magazines at the time of the shooting.
However, videos circulating online have raised serious questions about this narrative, as they appear to show that Alex never reached for his gun, and agents had already removed the weapon from his pocket before shooting him. This incident marks at least the third federal agent-involved shooting in Minneapolis in recent weeks, following the October 7 killing of 37-year-old Renée Good by an ICE agent and another earlier non-fatal shooting incident in the city.
Governor's Response and High-Profile Guest List
Minnesota Governor Tim Walz said he had spoken with the White House about the latest shooting and called the incident "sickening" while urging a halt to the federal enforcement operation in the state. Meanwhile, back at the White House screening, the guest list included numerous high-profile figures from various sectors.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, attendees included director Brett Ratner, Queen Rania of Jordan, Zoom CEO Eric Yuan, Apple CEO Tim Cook, New York Stock Exchange CEO Lynn Martin, AMD CEO Lisa Su, former boxer Mike Tyson, socialite and Fiat heiress Azzi Agnelli, self-help guru Tony Robbins, and photographer Ellen von Unwerth, who shot the movie poster for the film.
Documentary Details and Industry Context
The documentary represents a significant investment by Amazon MGM Studios, with Puck News reporting that Amazon paid $40 million for the rights to the film and is spending an additional $35 million on promotion. The screening attracted executives from major tech firms including Apple and Amazon, highlighting the intersection of politics, media, and technology.
The event's timing and the contrasting narratives of a White House cultural gathering versus a deadly law enforcement incident in Minneapolis have sparked broader conversations about presidential priorities, federal law enforcement practices, and the optics of political leadership during times of national crisis.
