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US senators scrambled Friday to pass a deal backed by President Donald Trump to limit the effects of a government shutdown set to begin within hours, after Democratic anger over the killing of two protesters by immigration agents derailed funding talks.Congress is racing against the clock as funding for large parts of the federal government expires at midnight, triggering a now unavoidable stoppage — at least through the weekend — even if senators manage to approve the compromise later in the day.The fatal shootings of Alex Pretti and Renee Good in Minneapolis have become the central fault line in the budget fight, with Democrats refusing to support new funding for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) without changes to immigration enforcement tactics, which they say have become dangerously aggressive.Under the deal, negotiated by Trump and Senate Democratic leaders, Congress would pass five long-stalled spending bills to fund most of the federal government through the end of the fiscal year in September. Funding for DHS — which oversees immigration enforcement — would be split off and covered instead by a two-week stopgap measure, giving lawmakers time to renegotiate the department’s budget and oversight provisions.Trump publicly endorsed the agreement and urged lawmakers from both parties to support it, signaling he wanted to avoid a second disruptive shutdown of his presidency. Much of the US media interpreted the White House’s new flexibility as a recognition that it needed to moderate its approach to deportations following the Minneapolis killings.But Senate rules requiring unanimous consent to fast-track legislation quickly complicated the plan.Late Thursday, Republican Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina blocked the package from advancing, forcing the Senate to adjourn without a vote. Graham objected to language repealing a previously approved provision that would have allowed senators to sue the government for damages if their phone records were seized during a Justice Department investigation several years ago.- ‘Snags on both sides’ -He also raised concerns about funding DHS for only two weeks rather than the remainder of the fiscal year, arguing that the short extension would mean further uncertainty.Republican Majority Leader John Thune told reporters there were procedural “snags on both sides,” while Minority Leader Chuck Schumer blamed Republicans for preventing swift passage of the deal.Even if the Senate approves the compromise on Friday, a brief shutdown is still inevitable. The House of Representatives is on recess and not due back until Monday, meaning it cannot immediately vote on the legislation. Speaker Mike Johnson said the House intends to move forward once it receives the package from the Senate, but internal divisions among Republicans could complicate that process.A prolonged partial shutdown would affect a wide range of federal operations. Although Congress has already passed six of the 12 annual funding bills, those measures account for only a small minority of discretionary spending. The remaining bills fund more than three-quarters of the government.Democrats have remained united in opposing the DHS funding bill without reforms following the Minneapolis shootings, which have intensified scrutiny of federal immigration agents’ conduct. Party leaders say the two-week stopgap is intended to force negotiations over new guardrails, including tighter rules on warrants and limits on certain enforcement tactics.Some Republicans have acknowledged the need for changes in the wake of the killings, while others argue Democrats are exploiting the funding deadline to constrain immigration enforcement. Conservatives have signaled they will push their own priorities during the upcoming DHS talks, including measures targeting so-called “sanctuary cities” that refuse to cooperate with federal immigration enforcement.With hours remaining before funding lapses, Senate leaders were still trying to secure agreement from all 100 senators to move the Trump-backed deal quickly. 

The Trump administration said Friday that it had ordered the arrest of a prominent journalist over coverage of immigration protests in Minneapolis, as the president branded a nurse shot dead by federal agents in the city an “agitator.”The arrest of former CNN anchor Don Lemon came as President Donald Trump walked back his conciliatory tone following public outrage over the killings of Alex Pretti, a veterans’ hospital nurse, and another American citizen in Minneapolis.Attorney General Pam Bondi said in a post on X that Lemon and several other people had been arrested “at my direction” on unspecified federal charges in connection with what she called a “coordinated attack” on the Cities Church in St. Paul, the twin city of Minneapolis.Lemon, now an independent journalist, was among the reporters who covered a protest against the immigration crackdown at the church where an official with the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency is a pastor.Lemon’s lawyer said he was taken into custody in Los Angeles overnight, adding that his work covering the protest “was no different to what he has always done.”A magistrate judge in Minnesota had declined last week to charge Lemon.Trump took to Truth Social meanwhile to describe Pretti, the 37-year-old nurse gunned down on Saturday, as an “agitator and, perhaps, insurrectionist.””Alex Pretti’s stock has gone way down with the just released video of him screaming and spitting in the face of a very calm and under control ICE Officer,” Trump wrote.Footage shared online this week reportedly shows Pretti in a scuffle with federal agents 11 days before he was shot dead.AFP could not immediately verify the footage, in which a man said to be Pretti is seen kicking and breaking the taillight of the agents’ car before they emerge and tackle him to the ground.- Government shutdown -The White House had scrambled to stem widespread outrage over Pretti’s killing, which came weeks after Renee Good, another US citizen and mother of three, was fatally shot by agents in Minneapolis.Trump claimed he wanted to “de-escalate a little bit” in the fallout of the killings and appointed a new point man in Minneapolis, border chief Tom Homan, who said on Thursday that some federal agents could be withdrawn from the city.Trump sent Homan to Minnesota to take control of immigration operations with orders to report directly to him, effectively sidelining Homeland Security chief Kristi Noem.Homan said at his first news conference in the Minnesota city on Thursday that “certain improvements could and should be made,” a marked difference in tone from his predecessor on the ground, combative Border Patrol commander Greg Bovino.Homan said his staff was “working on a drawdown plan” for some of the more than 3,000 federal agents who have been taking part in “Operation Metro Surge” contingent on receiving greater cooperation from the local authorities in the Democratic-run city.The two agents involved in Pretti’s shooting have been placed on leave, and Homan said any federal agents who breach standards of conduct “will be dealt with.”Backlash over the deaths of Pretti and Good has landed in Congress, with the Senate edging closer to a vote on Friday to limit the effects of a government shutdown set to begin at midnight.Democrats have drawn a red line around funding for the Department of Homeland Security, demanding it be stripped out and renegotiated to impose new constraints on immigration enforcement agencies.

US President Donald Trump has unveiled his pick for the next Federal Reserve chief — former central bank governor Kevin Warsh — setting in motion a key shift in the institution’s leadership.Powell’s chairmanship ends in May, and his successor will need to establish credibility despite political pressure, while walking a policy tightrope between curbing inflation and supporting a weakened jobs market.Warsh emerged as Trump’s choice early Friday, after a race that had narrowed to him, Fed governor Christopher Waller, Rick Rieder of BlackRock and Trump’s chief economic advisor Kevin Hassett.Trump during his first term considered Warsh for Fed chair as well, but eventually decided on Powell.What are the biggest tests awaiting Trump’s nominee?- Credibility -The president has drastically escalated his targeting of the central bank, trying to reshape its leadership by moving to fire a Fed governor while calling repeatedly for interest rates to be slashed.His Justice Department also launched an investigation into Powell over renovations at the Fed’s headquarters, in a move that Powell warned could threaten Fed independence.Analysts expect Trump’s pick will be more likely to push for lower rates.But this also means it will be tougher for the candidate to establish credibility and convince investors of the bank’s insulation from politics, said Michael Strain of the conservative American Enterprise Institute.”A new Fed Chair may want to hold off on rate cuts for at least one meeting to reassure financial markets,” KPMG chief economist Diane Swonk wrote in a recent note.- Senate confirmation -Trump’s nominee must also undergo Senate confirmation, and will likely face tough questioning from lawmakers even as the president’s Republican Party holds a Senate majority.Already, Republican Thom Tillis, who sits on the Senate Banking Committee, vowed to oppose the confirmation of any Fed nominee — including the next chairman — until the probe against Powell is resolved.Other Republican lawmakers, like Senator Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, have spoken up against the investigation too.The top Democrat on the banking committee, Senator Elizabeth Warren, has previously accused Trump of wanting to push Powell off the Fed’s powerful board altogether and “install another sock puppet” to complete his takeover of the central bank.For now, a wildcard is whether Powell remains on the board as Fed governor after his four-year term as chairman ends, preventing Trump from influencing its composition further.Most chairmen leave when their terms expire, but they do not have to. Powell could remain a governor until 2028.- Forging consensus -Within the bank, the Fed chair is seen to have an outsized influence on forging consensus among the rate-setting Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC).The FOMC’s 12 voting members take majority votes to decide on interest rate adjustments, and observers will monitor if the next chief can unite officials to back further rate cuts.The Fed has seen deepening divisions recently as some policymakers seek lower rates to boost the economy and shore up a labor market they view as fragile.But others have pushed back on rate cuts amid inflation worries, as Trump’s tariffs flow through supply chains and raise the costs of certain goods.- Political pressure -The new Fed chair will also have to contend with a president who has relentlessly criticized their predecessor and made no secret of his preference for much lower interest rates.Trump has already said that he would judge his choice on whether they immediately cut rates.At a speech to the World Economic Forum at Davos, Switzerland, Trump said of the contenders for the chairmanship: “They’re saying everything I want to hear.””They get the job, and all of a sudden, ‘Let’s raise rates a little bit,'” he added. “It’s amazing how people change once they have the job.””It’s too bad, sort of disloyalty,” Trump said.

US President Donald Trump announced Friday that he is nominating Kevin Warsh, a former Federal Reserve governor, to be the next US central bank chief.Trump’s decision caps a closely watched search for a successor to Fed Chair Jerome Powell, whom the president has repeatedly lambasted for not cutting interest rates more swiftly.”I have known Kevin for a long period of time, and have no doubt that he will go down as one of the GREAT Fed Chairmen, maybe the best,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform.”On top of everything else, he is ‘central casting,’ and he will never let you down,” Trump added.Powell’s term at the helm ends in May, although it remains to be seen if he will also step down from the Fed’s powerful board of governors.The president’s selection ends a race that had narrowed to four contenders — Warsh; current Fed governor Christopher Waller; Rick Rieder of BlackRock; and Trump’s top economic adviser Kevin Hassett.Trump said in separate social media posts that he did not pick Hassett, who heads the White House National Economic Council, as Hassett was “indescribably good” in his current role. Waller and Rieder would “all would have been outstanding” too, he said.- Senate hurdle -Warsh will need to be confirmed by the US Senate, facing questions by lawmakers on both sides of the aisle amid growing concerns about threats to the Fed’s insulation from politics.Trump’s recent attempt to oust another Fed Governor, Lisa Cook, and his administration’s investigation into Powell over renovation costs at the bank, have sparked worries about Fed independence.If independence were eroded, this could have ramifications for the world’s biggest economy, experts warn.Warsh must now get through a Senate Banking Committee hearing, “maintaining the confidence of both markets and the president in the process,” said economist Samuel Tombs of Pantheon Macroeconomics.After which, Warsh must pass a confirmation vote in the Senate with a simple majority.But Republican Thom Tillis, who sits on the banking committee, has vowed to oppose the confirmation of any Fed nominee — including the next chairman — until the probe against Powell is resolved.The top Democrat on the panel, Senator Elizabeth Warren, warned Friday that Warsh’s nomination “is the latest step in Trump’s attempt to seize control of the Fed,” urging Republicans to also block it.Although Trump’s Republican party holds a Senate majority, some lawmakers’ concerns about the Powell investigation have cast doubt on how smooth-sailing the confirmation process would be.- Economic challenges -Warsh, who is from New York, has recently stepped up his criticism of the Fed, endorsing many of the policy positions of Trump and his administration.He used to be a mergers and acquisitions banker at Morgan Stanley, and is currently a visiting fellow at the Hoover Institution.In Trump’s first term, the president considered Warsh for the Fed chair position as well — replacing Janet Yellen — but eventually chose Powell.As Trump continues to call for lower interest rates to boost the economy, all eyes will be on how Warsh defends the bank’s independence in the face of politics.The next Fed chairman will need to convince markets and policymakers that he is upholding the bank’s dual mandate of stable prices and low unemployment independently of political pressure.Even without Trump’s pressure, the Fed’s job has become increasingly challenging as US tariffs over the past year have fueled worries of stubborn inflation, while the employment market has cooled.The situation leaves Fed policymakers walking a tightrope as they adjust interest rates, deciding if they should keep levels higher to curb inflation or lower them to shore up the economy.With the labor market likely deteriorating in the coming months and inflation expected to tick down, the next Fed chief could “uncontroversially to reduce rates,” Tombs said.But he added that the jury is still out on whether Warsh will “pander to the president” if persistent inflation called for higher interest rates.

Kevin Warsh, a former US Federal Reserve official named by President Donald Trump on Friday as its next chief, was long an inflation foe but has aligned his views with those of Trump officials seeking aggressive interest rate cuts.Trump made the announcement after the Fed held its benchmark rate steady this week under Chairman Jerome Powell, whom the president again slammed as a “moron”.The months of personal attacks have fuelled widespread fears among investors that the Fed’s policy independence is under threat, potentially posing an inflation risk to the world’s biggest economy.Warsh has edged out three other contenders for the Fed job: Fed Governor Christopher Waller, Rick Rieder of the investment behemoth BlackRock, and Trump’s top economic adviser Kevin Hassett.A Fed governor between 2006 and 2011, Warsh was previously a mergers and acquisitions banker at Morgan Stanley.He later joined former president George W. Bush’s administration, serving as a White House economic policy adviser from 2002 to 2006 before being nominated to the Fed’s Board of Governors.During his first term, Trump had considered Warsh for the Fed chair position, but eventually chose Powell instead.But Powell’s fall from grace was capped this month when US prosecutors issued subpoenas against him threatening a criminal indictment, an unprecedented move widely seen as an escalation of Trump’s campaign against the central bank.- No longer a ‘hawk’ –Warsh’s term as a Fed governor saw him work closely with its chief Ben Bernanke on the central bank’s policy responses during the financial crisis that rocked the global economy in 2008.He emerged as a key communications conduit between policymakers and financial markets, even as he became increasingly skeptical of some of the Fed’s actions — including interest rate cuts to help contain the damage.He resigned as a Fed governor in 2011, several years before his term was to expire in 2018.At the time, he was seen as an inflation “hawk,” a term describing policymakers more inclined to prioritize stable prices and low inflation.This is usually done by favoring tighter monetary policy and higher interest rates.But recently Warsh has stepped up his criticism of the Fed, endorsing many of the policy positions of Trump and his administration.He argued in a speech last year that the Fed had strayed from its monetary policy mission into political areas where it lacked expertise.Warsh also claimed that poor policy choices by the Fed were holding back the US economy from growing further.In an interview with Fox Business at the time, he backed interest rate cuts to boost growth, even as Fed officials said they needed to evaluate the potential impact of Trump’s tariffs barrage on inflation.Warsh, a graduate of Stanford University and Harvard Law School, is married to Jane Lauder, of the family known for the Estee Lauder cosmetics group. Her billionaire father Ronald Lauder is a longtime associate of Trump’s.Warsh’s appointment to the Fed would have to be confirmed by the US Senate, where he will face scrutiny including from Trump’s own Republican lawmakers.Republican Thom Tillis, who sits on the Senate Banking Committee, has vowed to oppose the confirmation of any Fed nominee until the probe against Powell is resolved.

US President Donald Trump walked back his conciliatory tone on Friday after outrage over the killings of two American citizens in Minneapolis by federal agents, branding one of them, Alex Pretti, an “agitator.”Footage shared online this week reportedly showed intensive care nurse Pretti in a scuffle with federal agents 11 days before he was shot dead on Saturday by officers enforcing an immigration crackdown.The White House has scrambled to stem widespread outrage over Pretti’s killing, which came weeks after Renee Good, another US citizen and mother of three, was fatally shot by agents in the same city.Trump claimed he wanted to “de-escalate a little bit” in the fallout of the killings and appointed a new point man in Minneapolis, border chief Tom Homan, who said on Thursday that some federal agents could be withdrawn from the city after weeks of protests against immigration raids.On Friday, the US president said Pretti, 37, was an “agitator and, perhaps, insurrectionist,” on his Truth Social platform.”Alex Pretti’s stock has gone way down with the just released video of him screaming and spitting in the face of a very calm and under control ICE Officer,” Trump wrote, referring to the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency.The video reportedly shows Pretti kicking the taillight of the federal agents’ car, before they emerge and tackle him to the ground.AFP could not immediately verify the footage.- Government shutdown -Backlash over the deaths of Pretti and Good has landed in Congress, with the Senate edging closer to a vote on Friday on a funding deal to avert a government shutdown over the crisis.Democrats have drawn a red line around funding for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), demanding it be stripped out and renegotiated to impose new constraints on immigration enforcement agencies.Meanwhile, LinkedIn co-founder Reid Hoffman urged more tech figures to “speak out” on Thursday against the Trump administration’s “excesses” after the killings, which have had a global impact.”We in Silicon Valley can’t bend the knee to Trump. We can’t shrink away and just hope the crisis will fade,” Hoffman wrote in an opinion piece Thursday in The San Francisco Standard.Trump held a cabinet meeting that same day, but the Minnesota unrest did not come up while reporters were in the room, and he did not call on Homeland Security chief Kristi Noem when asking some officials to give remarks.Trump sent Homan to Minnesota to take control of immigration operations with orders to report directly to him, effectively sidelining Noem.- ‘Improvements’ needed -Homan said at his first news conference in the Minnesota city on Thursday that “certain improvements could and should be made,” a marked difference from his predecessor Greg Bovino, who was removed.Homan urged Minnesotans to avoid “hateful rhetoric” against federal immigration officers.He said his staff was “working on a drawdown plan” for some of the more than 3,000 federal agents who have been taking part in “Operation Metro Surge.”One such measure, for example, would be notifying ICE agents about the release dates of incarcerated migrants considered “criminal public safety risks” so they could be detained by the agency, he said.”This is commonsense cooperation that allows us to draw down on the number of people we have here,” Homan said.Steven Gagner, a 41-year-old jewelry designer and “citizen observer” in Minneapolis, was skeptical about the drawdown.”This administration has proven time and time again that they just lie to us and they do not really hold themselves or anyone else accountable,” he told AFP.The two agents involved in Pretti’s shooting have been placed on leave, and Homan said any federal agents who breach standards of conduct “will be dealt with.”

Panama’s Supreme Court annulled on Thursday the concession allowing Hong Kong-based CK Hutchison to operate ports at the Panama Canal, a ruling that undermines Chinese sway over the waterway.As Beijing and Washington vie for global influence, container ports have become a prized currency — especially those situated in geopolitically strategic locations such as the Panama Canal. Just days into US President Donald Trump’s second term, he threatened to take back the canal — built by the United States and handed to Panama in 1999 — claiming Beijing was effectively “operating” it.Panama has rejected the claim that China had de facto control over the canal, which handles 40 percent of US container traffic, while taking actions to appease Trump.The firm has sought to sell its Panama Canal ports to a consortium led by US asset manager BlackRock. The status of that proposal is unclear following the court ruling.On Thursday the Supreme Court found the laws which allowed CK Hutchison Holdings to operate two of the five ports of the canal “unconstitutional,” according to a court statement.The CK Hutchison subsidiary concerned by the ruling rejected the judgement, saying that it “lacks legal basis”.The ruling “jeopardizes not only PPC (Panama Ports Company) and its contract, but also the well-being and stability of thousands of Panamanian families who depend directly and indirectly on port activity,” it said.Beijing, meanwhile, on Friday vowed to “take all necessary measures to resolutely safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese companies”.Hong Kong’s government also rejected the decision.The United States and China are the canal’s top users, with around five percent of global maritime trade transiting from there.Panama Ports Company — a CK Hutchison Holdings subsidiary — manages the ports of Cristobal on the canal’s Atlantic entrance and Balboa on the Pacific side.The concession was automatically renewed in 2021 for another 25 years.- Proposed sale status unclear -The lawsuit to cancel the concession was brought before the Panamanian high court last year on allegations that it was based on unconstitutional laws and that the Hong Kong business was not paying taxes.CK Hutchison Holdings is one of Hong Kong’s largest conglomerates, spanning finance, retail, infrastructure, telecoms and logistics.Shares in CK Hutchison declined more than 4 percent on the Hong Kong stock exchange on Friday.Chinese state media has previously slammed the proposed sale to BlackRock, while Beijing has warned parties involved to exercise “caution”, warning of legal consequences should they proceed without their clearance.In April, the Panamanian Comptroller’s Office accused the firm of allegedly failing to pay the state $1.2 billion from its operations, according to an audit by the agency in charge of overseeing public spending.Panama has been trying to avoid being dragged into what President Jose Raul Mulino last year called a “geopolitical conflict.”Mulino has insisted the canal’s neutrality is intact and has urged Washington not to entangle Panama in its rivalry with Beijing. Still, Panama has taken steps to ease the pressure from Washington.Last year it withdrew from China’s Belt and Road Initiative, and earlier this month it announced new joint US-Panama canal defense drills — the fourth since 2025 — aimed at boosting readiness around the 50‑mile (80‑kilometre) trade route.The canal has become a recurring flashpoint as Trump pursues what he calls the updated “Donroe Doctrine,” asserting expanded US authority in the Western Hemisphere.In his inauguration address, the US president said: “We didn’t give it to China, we gave it to Panama. And we’re taking it back.”At the same time, Beijing has sharply criticized moves against its assets in Panama, including the demolition late last year of a monument honoring Chinese workers who helped build the canal and the 19th‑century railway that preceded it.

US President Donald Trump walked back his conciliatory tone on Friday after outrage over the killings of two American citizens in Minneapolis by federal agents, branding one of them, Alex Pretti, an “agitator.”Footage shared online this week reportedly showed intensive care nurse Pretti in a scuffle with federal agents 11 days before he was shot dead on Saturday by officers enforcing an immigration crackdown.The White House has scrambled to stem widespread outrage over Pretti’s killing, which came weeks after Renee Good, another US citizen and mother of three, was fatally shot by agents in the same city.Trump said he wanted to “de-escalate a little bit,” and appointed a new point man in Minneapolis, border chief Tom Homan, who said on Thursday that some federal agents could be withdrawn from the city after weeks of protests against immigration raids. However, Trump said on his Truth Social platform on Friday that 37-year-old Pretti was an “agitator and, perhaps, insurrectionist.””Alex Pretti’s stock has gone way down with the just released video of him screaming and spitting in the face of a very calm and under control ICE Officer,” Trump wrote, referring to the Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency.The video reportedly shows Pretti kicking the tail light of federal agents’ car, before they emerge and tackle him to the ground.AFP could not immediately verify the footage.- Government shutdown -Backlash over the deaths of Pretti and Good, and the mass deployment of ICE agents in Minneapolis, has landed in Congress, with the Senate edging closer to a vote on Friday on a funding deal to avert a government shutdown over the crisis.Democrats have drawn a red line around funding for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), demanding it be stripped out and renegotiated to impose new constraints on immigration enforcement agencies.Trump held a cabinet meeting on Thursday, but the Minnesota unrest did not come up while reporters were in the room, and he did not call on Homeland Security chief Kristi Noem when asking some officials to give remarks.Trump sent Homan to Minnesota to take control of immigration operations there with orders to report directly to him, effectively sidelining Noem.- ‘Improvements’ needed -Homan said at his first news conference there on Thursday that “certain improvements could and should be made,” a marked difference from his predecessor Greg Bovino, who was removed.Homan urged Minnesotans to avoid “hateful rhetoric” against federal immigration officers.He said his staff was “working on a drawdown plan” for some of the more than 3,000 federal agents who have been taking part in “Operation Metro Surge.”One such measure, for example, would be notifying ICE agents about the release dates of incarcerated migrants considered “criminal public safety risks” so they could be detained by the agency, he said.”This is commonsense cooperation that allows us to draw down on the number of people we have here,” Homan said.Steven Gagner, a 41-year-old jewelry designer and “citizen observer” in Minneapolis, was skeptical about the drawdown.”This administration has proven time and time again that they just lie to us and they do not really hold themselves or anyone else accountable,” he told AFP.The two agents involved in Pretti’s shooting have been placed on leave, and Homan said any federal agents who breach standards of conduct “will be dealt with.”However, Trump has not let up on his inflammatory rhetoric.The Republican president suggested that Somali-born Minnesota congresswoman Ilhan Omar could have staged an attack on Tuesday, when a man sprayed her with a liquid while she gave a speech.The man, Anthony Kazmierczak, faces state and federal assault charges for using a syringe to spray what appeared to be apple cider vinegar on the Democratic representative.

US President Donald Trump, Melania Trump and top administration officials attended the premier Thursday night of the first lady’s new movie promising a behind-the-scenes glimpse at her husband’s return to power.The documentary, titled “Melania” and funded by an extraordinary multimillion-dollar deal with Amazon, was given a red-carpet screening at the newly renamed Trump-Kennedy center in Washington.”Glamorous, very glamorous,” the president said of the film as he arrived at the event holding hands with his wife.”We need some glamour.”Melania Trump’s movie aims to document the 20 days leading up to Trump’s second inauguration through the eyes of the Slovenian-born 55-year-old first lady.But amid reports of soft ticket sales for the film, the huge fee paid by Amazon has raised questions about whether the US tech giant is merely trying to curry favor with the president.Top administration officials like Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, diplomatic envoy Steve Witkoff and Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., as well as House Speaker Mike Johnson, attended the screening.Melania Trump has often been a mysterious figure since her husband’s return to the White House in January 2025, preferring to spend her time with their son Barron in New York and Florida.But she said the film, which goes on global release Friday and will later be shown exclusively on Amazon Prime, would give people a look behind the enigma.”They will see how I work, who I am, how I communicate with people, and they will know me a little bit more,” she told Fox and Friends on Wednesday.A teaser for the documentary released in December showed the former model looking to the camera just before her husband’s second swearing-in at the US Capitol and saying: “Here we go again.”The Trumps held a private screening at the White House on Saturday — hours after immigration agents shot dead protester Alex Pretti in Minneapolis in an incident that has sparked national outrage.In one of a series of promotional interviews this week for the film, Melania Trump called for “unity” after the Minneapolis killing.- ‘MUST WATCH’ -While it promises an “unprecedented” glimpse into her life, “Melania” has also given an insight into the way US business titans have lined up to pay tribute to the Trump administration in the past year.Amazon tycoon Jeff Bezos has grown notably closer to Trump, securing a prime seat at the inauguration and telling the Washington Post newspaper he owns to favor pro-business editorials.US media say that of Amazon’s $40 million licensing deal for the film, Melania, who served as executive producer, will receive 70 percent. The next highest bid, from Disney, was reportedly only $14 million.On top of that Amazon has reportedly paid for a stunning $35 million marketing campaign including television commercials, billboards and a simulcast in 25 theaters at the same time as Thursday’s premiere.”How can it not be equated with currying favor or an outright bribe?” Ted Hope, a former Amazon film executive, was quoted as saying by the New York Times. Billionaire Donald Trump has faced repeated criticism that his family members are profiting from deals made off the back of his presidency. The White House says Trump is already rich and makes no money from his position.The president said on his Truth Social account that “Melania” was “A MUST WATCH.”But across the rest of social media the film and its PR campaign have drawn ridicule, with several internet users posting screenshots showing cinemas that have sold no seats for screenings.South Africa’s main cinema houses have pulled the documentary, with the distributor citing “the current climate,” without elaborating, local media reported.The South African government has strained ties with Trump’s administration, which has repeated false accusations that Pretoria is behind a “white genocide” of the Afrikaans community.The film has also drawn controversy over its choice of director. It is the first major project for Brett Ratner since multiple women accused him of sexual misconduct in 2017, allegations he denies.”He was very talented,” Melania Trump told Fox. “He was the best one, and he was great to work with.”