GOP hopeful tries to buy Trump’s favor with free Melania movie tickets
A Republican Senate candidate tried to buy Donald Trump’s endorsement with free tickets to Melania’s Brett Ratner-directed bomb. Evidently, it’s clear that policy, principle, or actual competence won’t sway the Orange Menace, only grift.
Republican candidate for Senate in Kentucky, Andy Barr, used campaign funds to buy out a showing of the movie, offered free tickets to anyone who showed up, and staged a bunch of photos to make it look like people really wanted to see the movie. This strays from the GOP tactic of buying up tickets to make it look like people are attending screenings, and crosses into actual bribery.
On Facebook, GOP Senate candidate Andy Barr framed the free ticket giveaway as a celebration of the first lady. Barr, who currently serves in congress, has been trying to secure Donald Trump’s endorsement.
While campaigns often offer free food or swag, distributing tickets to a commercial film tied to a living political figure, and promoting it as part of a Senate campaign, raises ethical questions about soft vote-buying and the proper use of campaign funds.
When candidates start buying favor with free screenings, it’s a reminder that this isn’t politics anymore. It’s an audition.
" ... distributing tickets to a commercial film tied to a living political figure ... raises ethical questions about soft vote-buying"
Are those anything like the ethical questions raised by a businessman paying $28M to the president's wife? Because I think maybe we should be talking about those ethical questions too.
My question are; Did it work? Was there actually a full theater capacity audience at the showing of "Melania (2026)" he gave away tickets to?