Madeline Rivera
๐ค SpeakerAppearances Over Time
Podcast Appearances
The blame game is in full swing as Democrats and Republicans remain at an impasse over DHS funding.
Lawmakers are now on a previously scheduled recess.
They left town without a deal in hand.
after Senate Democrats blocked the consideration of a spending bill earlier this week.
Dems say a White House offer falls short of the changes they want to see for ICE, and one of their biggest demands calls for DHS officers to get a judicial warrant before entering private property.
So now DHS is facing a lapse in funding, marking the third time at least part of the government has shut down in less than six months.
Remember, though, ICE received a significant amount of funding from the One Big Beautiful Bill.
Documentaries are not huge ticket sales drivers.
The majority of them open under $5 million.
So the fact that Melania made $7 million an opening weekend is a success.
It did cost a lot to make it.
Amazon paid $40 million for the rights to release the film and $35 million to market it.
Critics had panned it, even though audiences gave it a 99% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
The first lady is touting the performance, saying on X, number one highest opening in 10 years.
According to Variety, the audience was 72% female, 83% were over the age of 45.
The film also reportedly performed best in rural areas and cities that lean red.
Most federal offices are closed through the weekend, so the effects of the shutdown may be minimal if the House votes to pass the bill when they return to D.C.
The package only funds DHS for two weeks, and during that time, Dems say they'll have negotiations on how to overhaul immigration enforcement.
In a call with House Republicans on Friday, House Speaker Mike Johnson said he wants a vote on the Senate deal Monday night.