On Jan. 19, 2025, a day before Donald Trump was sworn in as the 47th U.S. president, a North Texas pastor prayed over him at a preinaugural dinner in Washington, D.C.
Robert Jeffress, of First Baptist Dallas, had been asked to offer God’s blessing for Trump, his wife, Melania, and the nation, according to Allison Burks, a church spokesperson. Among the dinner’s nearly 1,000 attendees, Burks said, were the Republican speaker of the House, Mike Johnson; future Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and then-Trump adviser and business mogul Elon Musk.
Over a year later, the scene of Jeffress’ prayer appears to have surfaced in the first lady’s new documentary, Melania. (The Dallas Morning News has not yet independently confirmed the inclusion.)
Jeffress, a longtime Trump ally, didn’t know the moment would be in the movie, Burks wrote in an email. He learned about it from church congregants who attended the premiere on Jan. 30. Jeffress views the footage as indicative of the value the first couple places on prayer, Burks wrote.
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“Great movie everyone who loves our country should see!” Jeffress wrote on Facebook over the weekend.
First lady Melania Trump arrives for the premiere of her movie “Melania” at The John F. Kennedy Memorial Center For The Performing Arts, Thursday, Jan. 29, 2026, in Washington.
Jose Luis Magana / AP
Under that post, some users described Melania as “elegant” and “gracious” in the film, which followed the enigmatic former model during the 20 days leading up to the 2025 inauguration. Jeffress planned to watch it for the first time this week.
Other reactions to the documentary have not been as praising. Some critics have given it poor reviews, saying it offered little insight into its subject.
Amazon MGM Studios acquired the rights to Melania from the first lady’s production company for $40 million and spent $35 million on the film’s marketing, The New York Times reported. The distributor has been accused by some commentators of trying to curry favor with the Trump administration, considering the expensive costs for a documentary taped in a short span.
Since its release, the film has grossed over $8 million, according to Box Office Mojo, a website that tracks box office sales. Melania appears to have struck a chord with older white women, who formed a core demographic of the theatergoers, according to Amazon MGM Studios data obtained by NPR. Dallas is among the film’s top-performing markets, joining cities such as Houston, Atlanta, Phoenix and West Palm Beach, NPR reported.