Melania Documentary Posters Tagged With Hitler Mustaches Prompt LA Bus Relocation
Los Angeles transit authorities have shifted buses displaying ads for the Melania documentary after widespread vandalism of the film’s promotional posters, according to officials and reporting. The move comes amid fallout over graffiti that altered the First Lady’s image with Hitler-style mustaches and other offensive markings.
Metro leaders raised alarm after posters at bus stops across Los Angeles were repeatedly defaced with devil horns, profanity, and references to Hitler and his associates, prompting a scramble to protect property and passengers ahead of the film’s opening weekend. Metro said the damage to stations and signs was “extensive and severe,” and decided to reroute ad-covered buses to areas seeing less vandalism.
The Melania documentary, directed by Brett Ratner and financed by Amazon MGM Studios with a reported $40 million budget, tracks Melania Trump in the 20 days leading up to the 2025 presidential inauguration. Posters for the film were installed at stops and on buses across the city this month.
An activist art collective called INDECLINE has taken credit for at least one altered billboard, posting online that the stunt was meant to spark conversation around the film’s release. Metro officials say not all vandalism has been tied to that group.
Follow The Coffman Chronicle on NewsBreak for daily breaking political coverage.
“Given that Metro buses have had significant vandalism and damage during previous periods of heightened public activity, we made the decision … to shift some of these buses to areas where we were not observing that vandalism,” a Metro spokesperson said in a statement.
The controversy comes as the documentary premieres this weekend and public reaction to the film has already been polarized. Vandalism of political advertising in L.A. has a long history and could influence how future campaigns are displayed, transit officials say.
Expect further updates as Metro tracks the vandalism and adjusts its advertising strategies.
Follow The Coffman Chronicle on NewsBreak for daily breaking political coverage.