“I Am Not Epstein’s Victim”: Melania Trump Calls For End To “Baseless Lies” Linking Her To Epstein In White House Address

Key Points

On Thursday 9th April, First Lady Melania Trump rejected any connection to Jeffrey Epstein and said she had no knowledge of his sex crimes. She described the accusations linking her to him as deliberate attempts to damage her reputation. This unprecedented announcement has come as quite surprising and has bought this long-running issue back into public focus.

Addressing reporters in the grand foyer of the White House in Washington, Melania stated that she and her legal team were pushing back against “unfounded and baseless lies” about her relationship with the late financier, a convicted sex offender who used his connections to powerful people to exploit victims and conceal his activities.

“The lies linking me with the disgraceful Jeffrey Epstein need to end today,” she stated. “The individuals lying about me are devoid of ethical standards, humility and respect. I do not object to their ignorance, but rather I reject their mean-spirited attempts to defame my reputation.”

The unexpected remarks came at a time when President Donald Trump and his administration appeared to have moved beyond more than a year of Epstein-related controversy, especially with the Iran war dominating attention in Washington and worldwide. 

See also: US Congressman urges King Charles to meet Epstein victims

Earlier this year, the First Lady had avoided answering a question about Epstein’s victims and his associate Ghislaine Maxwell during a White House event with former Hamas hostages.

The First Lady spoke for roughly five minutes in the Grand Foyer, reading out her statement and left without taking any questions from the present reporters. She did not specify the exact accusations that were allegedly levelled towards her, but said they came from “individuals and entities” seeking to harm her reputation for financial or political reasons.

She urged Congress to organize a public hearing where survivors of Epstein’s crimes could share their stories and have them officially recorded. “Each and every woman should have her day to tell her story in public if she wishes, then, and only then, we will have the truth.” she said.

The first lady's statement has garnered support from other American politicians as well. Former Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, a one-time strong Trump supporter who later resigned from Congress after clashing with the president, praised the statement on X, saying she was “grateful to the First Lady for her brave statement today about Epstein and his victims.”

Democrats welcomed her call for hearings. Rep. Robert Garcia, the top Democrat on the House Oversight Committee investigating Epstein, urged Republican Chairman Rep. James Comer to schedule a public hearing “immediately.”

See also: Justice Department Releases Missing Epstein Files Containing Sexual Assault Allegations Against Donald Trump in the 1980s

The Epstein issue has continued to create divisions within the Republican Party and Trump’s MAGA base, with some demanding full document releases and further prosecutions. Trump had earlier called the matter a “Democrat hoax” but later signed a bill requiring the release of Epstein-related files.

It remains unclear what prompted Melania Trump to address the topic now. In her address, she noted that several individuals and organizations had already been forced to apologize for spreading lies about her, with the most recent apology coming in October from HarperCollins UK, which retracted claims that Epstein had introduced her to Donald Trump.

Melania Trump emphasized that Epstein did not introduce her to her future husband; they met at a New York party in 1998. She also denied being friends with Epstein or Ghislaine Maxwell, acknowledging only that they moved in some of the same social circles in New York and Florida. She described a polite reply she sent to Maxwell as nothing more than “casual correspondence.”

Among the millions of pages of documents released under the Epstein Files Transparency Act was a 2002 email addressed to “Dear G!” and signed “Love, Melania,” which complimented the recipient on a magazine article about “JE” and mentioned plans to visit Palm Beach. This was sent around the same time a New York Magazine article quoted Trump calling Epstein a “terrific guy.” Another released photo from Epstein’s home showed a picture of Donald Trump, Melania Trump, Epstein, and Maxwell together.

Epstein had pleaded guilty in 2008 to Florida charges involving a minor and was awaiting federal sex-trafficking charges when he died by suicide in jail in 2019. 

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