President Trump attended the premiere of his wife’s documentary and told reporters he will name his nominee for Federal Reserve chair on Friday morning after months of speculation. He described the pick as “a very good person” and said Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick were involved in the decision. Trump also said he had a brief conversation with Apple CEO Tim Cook about unrest in Minneapolis and defended his immigration and crime record following a reported shooting. The documentary Melania: Twenty Days to History — sold to Amazon MGM Studios — has generated both praise and criticism; director Brett Ratner said additional episodes will stream later.
At 'Melania' Premiere, Trump Says Fed Chair Pick Coming Friday, Mentions Tim Cook Call
At 'Melania' premiere, Trump talks Tim Cook and Fed chair nominee
President Donald Trump attended the premiere of a documentary about first lady Melania Trump on Thursday evening and spoke briefly with NBC News reporters as he and the first lady entered the event.
Trump said he would announce his nominee for chair of the Federal Reserve on Friday morning, ending months of speculation over who will succeed Jerome Powell. “I’ll be announcing the Fed chair tomorrow morning,” he told reporters. “I’ve chosen a very good person. I’ll be putting that out tomorrow morning.”
Earlier the same day at a Cabinet meeting, the president had said the Fed announcement would come next week and mentioned that Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick were involved in the selection process.
On a separate topic, Trump said he had a brief conversation with Apple CEO Tim Cook about escalating violence in Minneapolis, calling the exchange short and focused on a mutual desire for peace. Cook, who attended a White House screening of the documentary on Saturday, told Apple employees this week that he was “heartbroken” by the situation and said he had “a good conversation” with the president.
Defending his record on law enforcement and immigration, Trump said,
“I think, maybe more than anyone, we’ve done a great job. We’ve closed the border. We’ve stopped crimes at an all-time low in the history of our country, and that’s only because we’re taking criminals out. We’re taking some very bad people out of our country.”
The president’s remarks followed the reported shooting and killing of Alex Pretti in Minneapolis earlier this week by federal immigration agents. That incident prompted the removal of Border Patrol Commander-at-Large Greg Bovino from the city and his replacement by border czar Tom Homan.
When asked about reports that Amazon paid $40 million for the rights to the first lady’s documentary — an unusually large sum for a documentary — Trump deflected by comparing payments to other former presidents. “Well, I think you’d have to go and ask President Obama, who got paid a lot of money and hasn’t done anything,” he said. The article noted that Barack and Michelle Obama did not sign media deals while in the White House but later struck a deal with Netflix after leaving office.
The premiere, attended by many administration appointees and friends of the Trump family, launched a film that has drawn both praise and skepticism. Titled Melania: Twenty Days to History, the documentary was produced by the first lady’s production company and sold to Amazon MGM Studios. The film follows Melania Trump in the run-up to last year’s inauguration.
The first lady told NBC News the film “belongs to everybody,” adding that it could resonate with varied audiences. “Teenagers can go to see, young women can go to see and be inspired that they could have a family and business, as well,” she said. Trump praised the film and his wife, calling it “a very important piece of work.”
Director Brett Ratner said the project will expand beyond the theatrical film. “It’s going to go on streaming in a few months, and then there’s three more episodes of stuff that’s not in the movie,” he said, describing a planned three-part series of additional content.
Inside the screening, attendees were offered water and popcorn. As the Trumps took their seats in a balcony, they were greeted with cheers and chants of “USA.”
This article was originally published on NBCNews.com.
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