AOC blasts Trump’s White House movie night amid DHS shooting and looming ice storm: ‘He’s unfit’
WASHINGTON, DC: Rep Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez tore into President Donald Trump on Sunday for going ahead with a glitzy White House movie night while the country grappled with multiple crises.
The New York Democrat labeled the president “unfit” following his decision to host a private screening of a documentary about first lady Melania Trump as crises piled up nationwide.
Her broadside came after Trump welcomed a handpicked group of elites to the East Room for a black-tie dinner and a showing of “Melania,” a documentary chronicling the first lady’s life and role leading up to Trump’s second inauguration.
Inside Trump’s VIP White House screening
The Saturday night affair was held quietly, with no public promotion. The film, directed by Brett Ratner and produced for Amazon Prime, centers on Melania Trump and her experiences in the run-up to her husband’s return to the White House.
Ratner has previously said the project is meant to show “the real story behind the headlines.” Guests at the screening included a mix of tech titans, celebrities, and international figures.
COUNTDOWN: 7 Days until the World will witness an unforgettable, behind-the-scenes, look at one of the most important events of our time.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 23, 2026
MELANIA: TWENTY DAYS TO HISTORY:https://t.co/rjwd5Appkv pic.twitter.com/AHD0rn1M7C
Among those in attendance were Ratner himself, Queen Rania of Jordan, Zoom CEO Eric Yuan, Apple CEO Tim Cook, New York Stock Exchange CEO Lynn Martin, AMD CEO Lisa Su, boxing legend Mike Tyson, socialite and Fiat heiress Azzi Agnelli, motivational speaker Tony Robbins, and famed photographer Ellen von Unwerth, who shot the film’s poster.
Additional coverage also listed Amazon CEO Andy Jassy as an attendee. Guests were reportedly treated to custom popcorn tubs branded with the movie’s logo.
White House officials described the evening as a private celebration for friends and supporters of the first lady. No official comment was made about the timing of the event, which comes ahead of the film’s public premiere later this month at the newly renamed Trump Kennedy Center.
AOC slams Trump over White House movie night
Ocasio-Cortez directly tied the White House soirée to what she described as a failure of leadership.
“Today DHS assassinated a VA nurse in the street, [Pam] Bondi is attempting to extort voter files, and half the country is bracing on the eve of a potentially crippling ice storm with FEMA gutted. So what is the president up to? Having a movie night at the White House. He’s unfit,” she posted on X.
Today DHS assassinated a VA nurse in the street, Bondi is attempting to extort voter files, and half the country is bracing on the eve of a potentially crippling ice storm with FEMA gutted.
— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) January 25, 2026
So what is the President up to? Having a movie night at the White House.
He’s unfit. https://t.co/fW1dzoZ8uH
The criticism came as federal authorities faced backlash in Minneapolis after agents fatally shot 37-year-old Alex Pretti, an ICU nurse at a local VA hospital, during an immigration operation on Saturday. Family members identified Pretti and said he was helping a woman who had been shoved by agents when the shooting occurred.
According to reports, Pretti was sprayed by agents before being shot. The incident marked the second deadly shooting by federal officers in the city in less than a month. Protests followed, with Minnesota officials claiming federal authorities denied them access to the scene.
UPDATE: Alex Pretti a "domestic terrorist" who wanted to "massacre law enforcement.
— Ape𝕏 (@CubanOnlyTrump) January 24, 2026
Another ICE Agent had to stop a criminal trying to kiII them. #Minneapolis
The guy sh0t by ICE in Minneapolis was armed and resisting arrest.
God bless the law enforcement officers 🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/z9A2AeSqKZ
At the same time, Attorney General Pam Bondi was accused of extortion after sending a letter to Minnesota Gov Tim Walz demanding access to the state’s voter registration records. Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn) said the letter suggested Immigration and Customs Enforcement would pull out of the state if officials complied.
“Pam Bondi just sent a letter to Minnesota officials saying ICE will leave if the state turns over its voter database to Trump,” Murphy said.
Pam Bondi just sent a letter to Minnesota officials saying ICE will leave if the state turns over its voter database to Trump.
— Chris Murphy 🟧 (@ChrisMurphyCT) January 25, 2026
Guess what? This has never been about safety or immigration. It’s a pretext for Trump to take over elections in swing states. pic.twitter.com/BHrQJUECJY
Meanwhile, a major winter storm is sweeping across the country, threatening heavy ice and snow from Texas to New England. Forecasts warned of “catastrophic impacts,” including ice accumulations of up to one inch, widespread power outages, and major travel disruptions.
BIG WINTER STORM
— Noah Bergren (@NbergWX) January 19, 2026
The end of January is going to be wild. Two major winter storms and two major arctic outbreaks, the second of which later next week could reach historic cold into Florida.
Classic battle of the models. There should be a wide area of snow, then sleet, an ice… pic.twitter.com/sFnpZGifJG
The National Weather Service issued ice storm warnings for regions expecting between 0.25 and 1 inch of ice, with sleet and snow stretching across more than 2,000 miles. “Ice buildup of up to three-quarters of an inch could bring down trees and power lines, leading to widespread power outages that may last for days,” one forecast warned.
