Melania Trump’s time as First Lady has been marked by privacy and selective public appearances. Before returning to the White House in January last year, she said her second term would be different, dividing her time between Washington, Palm Beach, and New York while continuing her official duties.
During this term, she has maintained her Be Best initiative but placed major focus on a personal documentary. Announced shortly before Donald Trump’s second inauguration, the film reportedly earned $40 million from Amazon for filming rights and was released in January. Reviews were mixed, yet Melania expressed pride in the project. “I’m very proud of the film so people may like it, may don’t like it, and that’s their choice,” she told CNN. She added, “We achieved what we want to achieve. For myself, it’s already successful. I’m very proud of what we did.”
A recent YouGov poll sheds light on how Americans view her performance compared to other First Ladies. The survey, conducted online among 2,255 adults in early February 2026, found that Melania holds a -16 approval rating. This is lower than Jill Biden’s -9 but slightly higher than Hillary Clinton’s -17.
Other former First Ladies received far stronger ratings. Nancy Reagan stands at +25, Lady Bird Johnson at +23, Rosalynn Carter at +32, Barbara Bush at +21, Michelle Obama at +21, and Laura Bush at +19.
The most popular by far was Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, who served from 1961 to 1963 and received a +56 approval rating in the YouGov survey.
The poll also noted that Melania’s support was stronger among Republican voters than Democrats, highlighting continued political divides in public opinion.
