By Trendsetter Tribune 
In his latest monologue, Jimmy Kimmel took aim at the growing buzz surrounding the new documentary Melania, mocking both the film’s box office performance and the effusive praise it has received from conservative media.
The late-night host specifically targeted a Fox News segment where a host suggested the First Lady’s documentary should be in the running for the Academy Awards.
The Oscar “Guarantee”
Kimmel, who has hosted the Oscars four times (2017, 2018, 2023, and 2024), found the idea of a Melania Trump documentary receiving a nomination for Best Documentary Feature laughable.
“‘Melania’ has a score of 7% on Rotten Tomatoes, but on Fox News it’s got a strong 100%,” Kimmel joked. He then made a bold “vow” to the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences: “Mark my words right now, if ‘Melania’ gets nominated for an Oscar, I will host that show. Whether they ask me to or not. I will insist on it.”
The “Record-Breaking” Box Office
Kimmel also addressed the financial success of the film, which was purchased by Amazon for a record-breaking $40 million ($35 million of which was reportedly spent on marketing). The film opened to roughly $7 million in its first weekend, a figure the administration’s allies have touted as a massive success for a documentary.
Kimmel offered a different perspective, calling the debut a record-setter for a very specific category: “It was the biggest opening for a non-musical vanity project/brazen corporate bribe in the last 10 years.”
The Context of “Melania” (2026)
The documentary, simply titled Melania, was released in late January 2026. It has become a lightning rod for political debate due to the unprecedented price tag paid by Jeff Bezos’ Amazon MGM Studios.
While supporters view the film as an intimate look at the First Lady’s life and a necessary counter-narrative to mainstream media portrayals, critics—including Kimmel—see the project as a vehicle for the tech giant to curry favor with the Trump administration. The film features rare interviews with the First Lady and behind-the-scenes footage of the 2024 campaign and the early days of the second term.