Politics'I Hate Following Our First Lady': Donald Trump Admits His Wife Melania Outshines Him
'It makes me look not so good,' admitted the president.
May 20 2026, Published 10:59 a.m. ET
During the White House Congressional Picnic on Tuesday, May 19, President Donald Trump took the microphone after his wife, Melania’s, remarks and told the laughing crowd, "What a great job, I have to follow that? I hate it! I never like following our great First Lady, because it makes me look not so good."
“I hate following our great First Lady… it makes me look not so good," the POTUS confessed.
During the same event, Trump continued to praise his wife, noting that her 2026 self-titled movie/documentary had reached number one on Amazon Prime Video.
Donald Trump Insists Melania Is a 'Movie Star'
Donald Trump frequently praises his wife, Melania, as a 'movie star.'
The documentary film Melania was a significant financial disaster, ultimately ending its theatrical run with just $16.6 million worldwide.
Produced and distributed by Amazon-MGM, the project cost a record-setting $40 million for the rights and an additional $35 million in marketing, making it one of the largest box-office bombs in documentary history.
Within 24 hours of its March 9 streaming release on Amazon Prime Video, it soared to the No. 1 spot for movies in the U.S. and globally. However, its stay at the top was brief, and its viewership quickly declined as it dropped off the daily charts.
"I should use you for some of the things I want to try and pass,” the POTUS quipped while celebrating the House of Representatives' passing the "Fostering the Future Act," a bipartisan piece of legislation aimed at modernizing the United States foster care system.
Because the issue is a central pillar of the elusive FLOTUS’ platform, she had spent months actively building support and lobbying for the bill on Capitol Hill.
When the bill successfully cleared the House with broad cross-party support, Trump jokingly feigned jealousy over her ability to secure bipartisan agreement.
Trump drew laughter from the crowd by quipping, "She gets them approved bipartisan ... In fact, the only one that gets things approved now are Melania and her friends."
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'We're Not Going to Do That Well'
Melania Trump 'hates' certain parts of Donald Trump's stage presence.
This is not the only time Trump has joked about their public dynamics.
He frequently shares anecdotes at his rallies regarding things Melania "hates" about his stage presence, such as his campaign-trail dancing to the song "YMCA" and his athletic impersonations, which she reportedly tells him are "not presidential."
While the FLOTUS seemed more jovial than usual at Tuesday’s event, viral clips — such as Melania reportedly dropping her smile or refusing to hold hands — regularly fuel intense media speculation about marital discord.
During a White House welcoming ceremony for King Charles III, Donald jokingly told Melania that they wouldn’t match his parents' 63-year marriage record, adding, "We’ll do well, but we're not going to do that well.”
The Trumps' approval ratings are both historically low.
Melania has recorded some of the lowest popularity metrics for any modern First Lady of the United States, tracking at historically unprecedented negative numbers in multiple recent national polls.
A high-profile CNN/SSRS poll found Melania's net favorability at -12 points, a severe drop from her +30 rating during her husband's first term.
CNN data analyst Harry Enten noted this makes her the most unpopular first lady at this stage of a second presidential term in modern polling history.
