Marina Hyde: From Melania’s black carpet to ICE, Trump’s techlords may be getting buyer’s remorse

The no-shows at the first lady’s movie premiere suggest they may be counting the cost of their chumminess with the president

US president Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump at the premiere of 'Melania' at The John F Kennedy Memorial Center For The Performing Arts, Thursday, Jan. 29, 2026, in Washington.

Who wasn’t on the red carpet at the official Melania documentary premiere in Washington DC was so much more intriguing than who was. 

No offence to defence secretary Pete Hegseth but, if I wanted to see formalwear struggling to contain Crusades tattoos, I’d hang around outside the Spartak Moscow Christmas party.