First Lady Melania Trump smacked a reporter’s question about “using” the White House for self-promotion while meeting with Israeli-American hostages who were freed as part of President Trump’s peace negotiation in Gaza.
The exchange took place when the first lady met with Keith Siegel and his wife Aviva Siegel during a White House event to commemorate the one-year anniversary of Keith’s release from Hamas captivity.
Keith Siegel, a dual U.S.-Israeli citizen, and his wife Aviva were taken hostage from Kibbutz Kfar Aza during the October 7 attacks in 2023. Aviva was released in November 2023 as part of a temporary ceasefire agreement, while Keith remained in captivity for 484 days before being released on February 1, 2025, following U.S.-brokered negotiations tied to a broader Israel-Hamas ceasefire.
Prior to Keith’s release, the first lady met with Aviva Siegel in New York City in January of last year. During that meeting, Aviva shared details of Keith’s situation and gave Melania handmade materials about his story.
Melania later included footage of this encounter in her documentary film titled “Melania,” which was released in theaters last month.
On Wednesday, the couple was invited to the White House for a private event with limited press access. Aviva expressed thanks to Melania for her support, including her inclusion of Aviva in the documentary, while Melania spoke about the emotional nature of her earlier meeting with Aviva and expressed relief at seeing Keith home and healthy.
During the press portion, a reporter asked Melania whether she was using the story for self-promotion. “Why do you feel it’s appropriate to use an official White House event to promote your documentary?”
“This is not promotion. We are here celebrating the release of the hostages of Aviva and Keith. They were in Washington, DC. They called me, they said they would like to come over to thank me and to give hugs, and that’s why we are here. It’s nothing to do with promotion,” the first lady responded.
The exchange comes as “Melania” continues to outperform box office expectations. The film turned in the highest opening for a documentary film in more than a decade, leading to an expansion to hundreds of additional theaters.
