First lady Melania Trump issued a rare public statement on Thursday denying any close ties to the late Jeffrey Epstein. She rejected claims of friendship or involvement in his crimes and called on Congress to hold hearings for his victims. The address came amid recent releases of Epstein-related documents.
First lady Melania Trump spoke from the White House on Thursday afternoon, denying connections to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. 'I have never been friends with Epstein,' she said. 'I am not Epstein's victim. Epstein did not introduce me to Donald Trump.' She described an email to Ghislaine Maxwell as 'casual correspondence' and nothing more, adding that she first met Epstein in 2000 at an event with her husband after meeting Trump in 1998 at a New York City party, as detailed in her book 'MELANIA'.Trump emphasized she had no knowledge of Epstein's crimes, never visited his island, flew on his plane, or appeared in related court documents, depositions, or FBI interviews. 'The lies linking me with the disgraceful Jeffrey Epstein need to end today,' she stated. She dismissed circulating social media images and stories as fake and noted legal victories against accusers, including retractions from The Daily Beast, James Carville, and HarperCollins UK.The first lady called on Congress to act by providing public hearings for Epstein's victims to testify under oath. 'Epstein was not alone,' she said. 'Now is the time for Congress to act.' The statement followed the Justice Department's announcement that former Attorney General Pam Bondi would not appear for a House Oversight Committee subpoena on April 14 regarding Epstein files, some of which mentioned the Trumps.
