Melania, a documentary about the first lady, has a 10 percent score on Rotten Tomatoes from critics, but a 90 percent score from audience members, an unusual discrepancy that raises the question, how did Rotten Tomatoes get those scores anyway?

Fresh, stale, or politics? The Melania documentary's Rotten Tomatoes score, explained

Kalyani Saxena

Associate Producer, Here & Now

Ben Brock Johnson

Director, Digital Audio

Grace Tatter

Producer, WBUR Podcasts

Paul Vaitkus

Manager of Podcast Production

<h2>Credits:</h2>Episode producer: Grace TatterEditor: Meg CramerCo-hosts: Ben Brock Johnson and Kalyani SaxenaShow producers: Samata Joshi, Dean Russell, Grace Tatter, Emily Jankowski, Chiosna Bernadeau, Amory SivertsonMixer and sound designer: Paul Vaitkus

First lady Melania Trump walks from the stage after speaking before the premiere of her movie "Melania" at The John F. Kennedy Memorial Center For The Performing Arts, Thursday, Jan. 29, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Allison Robbert)

APTOPIX Melania Trump Movie

Melania, a documentary about the first lady, has a 10 percent score on Rotten Tomatoes from critics, but a 90 percent score from audience members, an unusual discrepancy that raises the question, how did Rotten Tomatoes get those scores anyway?

Show notes:
<ul>
 	<li>The 'Melania' movie audience: Older white women
(<a href="http://The 'Melania' movie audience: Older white women">NPR</a>)</li>
 	<li>Melania’s Movie Shows Signs of Bulk Buying to Boost Box Office: Guru (<a href="https://www.thedailybeast.com/obsessed/box-office-guru-flags-suspicious-sales-to-boost-melania-movie/">The Daily Beast</a>)</li>
 	<li>You Can Thank 'Rush Hour' for Rotten Tomatoes (<a href="https://www.vice.com/en/article/you-can-thank-rush-hour-for-rotten-tomatoes/">Vice</a>)</li>
 	<li>Rotten Tomatoes Owner Says ‘Melania’ 99% Audience Score Is Not ‘Bot Manipulation’: ‘Reviews Are Verified… Users Bought a Ticket to the Film’ (<a href="https://www.vice.com/en/article/you-can-thank-rush-hour-for-rotten-tomatoes/">Variety</a>)</li>
</ul>
Credits: This episode was produced by Kalyani Saxena and Grace Tatter. It was co-hosted by Ben Brock Johnson and Kalyani Saxena, and edited by Meg Cramer. Mix and sound design by Paul Vaitkus.