Melania Trump Movie Posters Vandalized with Hitler ‘Stache Across Los Angeles

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Ads for Melania Trump’s high-profile documentary, “Melania,” are sparking intense reactions across Los Angeles, though likely not the kind the production team intended. The city’s public transit agency, LA Metro, has reported a dramatic spike in vandalism targeting promotional posters featured on buses and at transit shelters.

The ads, which feature the First Lady’s portrait, have been systematically defaced with expletives and imagery including Adolf Hitler-style mustaches. Some vandals have gone as far as adding references to Eva Braun, Hitler’s wife. The scale of the damage has prompted Metro officials to take unusual measures to protect their fleet.

After seeing significant vandalism at city bus stops on advertising for the “Melania” movie, Metro proactively reassigned some of the buses containing that advertising to other geographic areas to minimize potential vandalism, the agency told NBC4. While Metro does not oversee the bus shelters themselves, they are actively scrambling to move the mobile ads away from high-risk zones.

The backlash isn’t limited to public transit. At least one prominent billboard in the city has been overhauled by the activist art collective INDECLINE. The group, known for previous anti-administration stunts like the naked Donald Trump statues, has officially taken credit for the work.

Directed by Brett Ratner, “Melania” marks the first major release from the First Lady’s new production company, Muse Films, which she launched late last year. The project has been a lightning rod for controversy since Amazon MGM Studios reportedly paid a staggering $40 million for the licensing rights—the highest price ever paid for a documentary.

The film offers a 104-minute deep dive into the 20 days leading up to the 2025 presidential inauguration. While President Trump has championed the film on social media as a must watch, box office analysts remain skeptical. National Research Group projects an opening weekend of roughly $5 million, a small fraction of the estimated $75 million Amazon has invested in the acquisition and marketing.

Ratner’s involvement has also drawn scrutiny, as the film marks his return to the director’s chair following years of absence after several women accused him of s**** misconduct in 2017. Despite this, Melania Trump defended the choice in a Fox interview, stating, He was the best one, and he was great to work with.

Outside of the film’s release, Melania Trump has been increasingly visible in 2026. She recently rang the opening bell at the New York Stock Exchange on January 28 to drum up support for the movie and hosted a private screening at the Kennedy Center on January 29 for a guest list that included tech titans and political allies.

The First Lady has also teased a new legislative initiative for later this year, though she has yet to share specifics. Her primary focus remains her “Fostering the Future” program and overseeing her family’s transition back into the White House.

While the documentary is set to open in over 2,000 theaters domestically on Friday, January 30, it has already hit roadblocks internationally. Distribution in South Africa was recently canceled after the local distributor cited the current political climate as a reason to pull the film.

Comedy hosts like Jimmy Kimmel have continued to mock the project, particularly reports that Melania is truly pissed off that other headlines are distracting from the release. Whether the documentary can overcome the vandalism and mixed reviews to become a commercial hit will be the big test for Muse Films this weekend.

Do you think the aggressive vandalism in Los Angeles is a fair form of protest against a political figure, or should movie promotions be off-limits regardless of the subject? Please share your thoughts in the comments.

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