The 20-Day Premise and Lack of Drama

The New Yorker staff writer Lauren Collins joins Tyler Foggatt to discuss a new documentary about Melania Trump, which chronicles her life during the twenty days leading up to Donald Trump’s second Inauguration. They talk about the film’s glossy yet superficial portrait of the First Lady, who served as an executive producer, as well as its troubled rollout and poor critical reception. They also explore Melania’s tenure as First Lady and the contradictions at the center of her political identity as an immigrant married to a President whose anti-immigration rhetoric and policies have come to define both his Administration and the moment of the film’s release. 

This week’s reading:

• “ ‘Melania’ Is a Forty-Million-Dollar Journey Into the Void,” by Lauren Collins
• “What a ‘Melania’ Cinematographer Hoped to Accomplish,” by Isaac Chotiner
• “How Jeff Bezos Brought Down the Washington Post,” by Ruth Marcus
• “Why the D.H.S. Disaster in Minneapolis Was Predictable,” by Jonathan Blitzer
• “Trump’s Profiteering Hits $4 Billion,” by David Kirkpatrick

The Political Scene draws on the reporting and analysis found in The New Yorker for lively conversations about the big questions in American politics. Join the magazine’s writers and editors as they put into context the latest news—about elections, the economy, the White House, the Supreme Court, and much more. New episodes are available three times a week. 

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