Washington Examiner senior writer Joe Concha said Monday that audience reception is what “really matters” when looking at the box office performance of first lady Melania Trump’s documentary.

Despite being negatively received by most film critics, Melania, a film giving a behind-the-scenes look at the first lady’s 20 days before Inauguration Day 2025, opened to $7 million over the weekend, the biggest opening for a non-music documentary in over a decade.