From ICE to Melania’s black carpet, are Trump’s techlords getting pangs of buyer’s remorse? | Marina Hyde

The first lady's premiere was marked by conspicuous absences. It turns out chumminess with the president might just come at a cost

Who wasn't on the red carpet at the official Melania documentary premiere in Washington DC was so much more intriguing than who was. No offence to defence secretary Pete Hegseth, but if I wanted to see formalwear struggling to contain Crusades tattoos, I'd hang around outside the Spartak Moscow Christmas party. Not that it was a red carpet, because the carpet at the Trump-Kennedy" Center was black. No one bothers hiding the grift any more, with the movie's own producer openly explaining that this aesthetic was all about supporting this luxury brand that [Melania's] creating". They should have dressed the event like a colon, since Donald's is effectively where it was being held.

Anyway: arrivals. There was Melania and Donald Trump - she finally got him out of hair and makeup - who were holding hands, a coincidentally convenient way to cover his skin if his glam squad didn't truck in enough concealer. In recent months, Trump has had terrible bruises on the tops of his hands and even more terrible excuses for why they keep appearing. Aspirin, Swiss furniture, shaking lots of hands - the list of things that aren't cannula sites grows longer every week.

Marina Hyde is a Guardian columnist